Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data

Maya Rossin-Slater; Miriam Wüst

doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.06.003

Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data

Maya Rossin-Slater^*, Miriam Wüst

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Abstract

We study parental responses to child support obligations using rich administrative data from Denmark and variation in the child support formula. We estimate that a 1000 DKK ($160) increase in a father's obligation is associated with a 273 DKK ($45) increase in his payment. A higher obligation reduces father-child co-residence, pointing to substitution between financial and non-pecuniary investments. Further, obligations increase post-separation fertility among remarried fathers, but have no impacts on maternal fertility or either parent's labor supply. Our findings suggest that government efforts to increase child investments through mandates on parents can be complicated by their behavioral responses to them.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Journal of Public Economics
Vol/bind	164
Sider (fra-til)	183-196
Antal sider	14
ISSN	0047-2727
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.06.003
Status	Udgivet - 1 aug. 2018
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

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title = "Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data",

abstract = "We study parental responses to child support obligations using rich administrative data from Denmark and variation in the child support formula. We estimate that a 1000 DKK ($160) increase in a father's obligation is associated with a 273 DKK ($45) increase in his payment. A higher obligation reduces father-child co-residence, pointing to substitution between financial and non-pecuniary investments. Further, obligations increase post-separation fertility among remarried fathers, but have no impacts on maternal fertility or either parent's labor supply. Our findings suggest that government efforts to increase child investments through mandates on parents can be complicated by their behavioral responses to them.",

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AU - Wüst, Miriam

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N2 - We study parental responses to child support obligations using rich administrative data from Denmark and variation in the child support formula. We estimate that a 1000 DKK ($160) increase in a father's obligation is associated with a 273 DKK ($45) increase in his payment. A higher obligation reduces father-child co-residence, pointing to substitution between financial and non-pecuniary investments. Further, obligations increase post-separation fertility among remarried fathers, but have no impacts on maternal fertility or either parent's labor supply. Our findings suggest that government efforts to increase child investments through mandates on parents can be complicated by their behavioral responses to them.

AB - We study parental responses to child support obligations using rich administrative data from Denmark and variation in the child support formula. We estimate that a 1000 DKK ($160) increase in a father's obligation is associated with a 273 DKK ($45) increase in his payment. A higher obligation reduces father-child co-residence, pointing to substitution between financial and non-pecuniary investments. Further, obligations increase post-separation fertility among remarried fathers, but have no impacts on maternal fertility or either parent's labor supply. Our findings suggest that government efforts to increase child investments through mandates on parents can be complicated by their behavioral responses to them.

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KW - Divorce

KW - Family

KW - Father involvement

KW - Fertility

KW - Labor supply

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DO - 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.06.003

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SN - 0047-2727

VL - 164

SP - 183

EP - 196

JO - Journal of Public Economics

JF - Journal of Public Economics

ER -

Parental responses to child support obligations: Evidence from administrative data

Abstract

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