San Francisco Family Law Blog

An article about an upcoming documentary about child support. The film looks interesting, though I am a little concerned that the view may be rather slanted - using a few cases where the system does not work to say the whole system doesn't work.

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Overzealous Efforts to 'Collect' Alleged Overdue Child Support Are Unconscionable, Says Filmmaker, Aginelo Productions

OCEANSIDE, Calif., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- California-based filmmaker Angelo Lobo, producer and director of the documentary film "Support? System Down," says overzealous punitive measures designed to "collect" alleged overdue child support are wrong and unjust.

"The current high-profile effort that tries to shame alleged nonpayers into paying child support by putting their names, faces, and other identifying information on pizza delivery boxes scares and hurts innocent parents and their families. Most of these targeted parents are deadbroke. Seizing alleged nonpayers' cars, driver's and professional licenses, and jail are other misguided methods of collecting support. The pizza box shaming idea is especially unconscionable because, not only is it cruel and unjust, it can embarrass or upset the children of the parents shown on the fliers placed on the pizza boxes. Child support errors and other questionable practices are pervasive within the system," said Lobo.

Lobo produced an upcoming, full-length documentary titled "Support? System Down" that explores the shocking truth about fundamental flaws in America's child support system and America's family law courts. Lobo's film shows why the current efforts are wrong and hurt families rather than help them. The movie explains how U.S. taxpayers are paying for a malfunctioning system. Lobo wants his film to raise national public awareness of the crisis in the child support system to help effect positive reform.

"Most of these parents being targeted by these highly inappropriate efforts just don't have the amount of money they are being forced to pay, frequently because of layoffs, unemployment, illness, or disability. They are not willfully refusing to pay. These parents love their children and want to support them financially and emotionally. Targeting them with misguided enforcement hurts their ability to support the children who can, and do, thrive if their parents are left to cope with economic hardship that many in today's society are facing through no fault of their own.

I wanted to convey these loving parents' stories in a powerful and compelling way. Too many good people are being stigmatized or pursued for simply being deadbroke or unemployed. What is their crime? There is none. Equal parenting is the answer. Children want and need both parents in their lives. Children suffer and miss their parents when they are unjustly separated from them due to divorce or family breakup. They need adequate time with both parents, which often doesn't happen in our current system," said Lobo.

Lobo has received a tremendous positive response to the four trailers for the film located on his website at http://www.supportthemovie.com/trailers . " We expect the film to also resonate nationally since there are millions of people adversely affected by the broken system. We encourage everyone to see the tragic story of the child support system gone awry, " said Lobo. For more information or to book Angelo Lobo for interviews, visit http://www.supportthemovie.com/ , call (760) 439-4633 or email info@supportthemovie.com . Subscribe to the free e-mail mailing list at http://www.supportthemovie.com/ to receive announcements about " Support? System Down. " View the trailers: http://www.supportthemovie.com/trailers/ Aginelo Productions