Parental Responses to Child Support Obligations: Evidence from Administrative Data
We leverage non-linearities in Danish child support guidelines and rich administrative data to provide causal estimates of parental behavioral responses to child support obligations. We estimate that a 1,000 DKK ($149) increase in a father's obligation is associated with a 506 DKK ($75) increase in his payment. A higher obligation also reduces father-child co-residence, pointing to substitution between financial and non-pecuniary investments. Further, obligations increase parental post-separation fertility, and reduce labor supply among high-income fathers. Our findings suggest that government efforts to increase child investments through mandates on parents can be complicated by their behavioral responses to them.
Published Versions
Maya Rossin-Slater & Miriam Wüst, 2018. "Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data," Journal of Public Economics, vol 164, pages 183-196. citation courtesy of