• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK WOMEN COME FIRST

Every day we're serving Black women deeply. Come get a plate of goodness! Sign up for daily content and exclusive offers you'll love!

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and that you have read our Privacy Policy
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Love & Sex

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
By · Updated October 29, 2020
01
Checks and Balances

Love may not cost a thing, but getting divorced can be costly. After being awarded $44,000 a month in alimony and child support from ex-husband Nasir “Nas” Jones, Kelis Rogers is reportedly heading back to court for more money. We took to the streets of New York City to find out what real guys think about child support and spousal support.

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Getty Image
02
Franasco, 28, Student/Barrista

“I think that the child support laws in New York are fair. The court system has to be fair and it helps hold men accountable. In addition to child support, I think that a man should take care of a woman, especially after she has had [their] baby.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
03
Doug A., 46, Director of Finance

“Honestly, spousal support and child support are one in the same because the woman can do with it as she pleases. I’m going through this now and I’m not comfortable with the amount of alimony and child support. It’s excessive. The way the government bases the amount on income is fair, but they should also put restrictions on how it’s spent.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
04
Douglas L., 22, Actor

“I definitely think that a man is required to pay some sort of child support for his kids. However, if the woman is in a great financial position and the guy is not, then that should be taken into consideration. Income is a huge factor. As far as alimony is concerned, I think making a man pay for divorcing his wife is definitely unjust. I think it’s the kids that always suffer the most during a break-up.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Bridgette Bartlett
05
Alphonso T., 36, Marketing Manager

“A man should pay child support, but not for thousands of thousands of dollars like Nas. What does she need all that money for? The amount should be based on how long they were together, her income and how many kids. I’m all for a prenup, with the divorce rate so high in America. I’ve always thought about if I got married, the alimony and child support that could come if it didn’t work out.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Bridgette Bartlett
06
Joseph C., 22, Customer Service

“I’m not for spousal support. Each person is their own person before marriage, so they should be able to take care of themselves in and out of marriage. Child support I’m for because it’s two people and it’s both of your child. And if the father isn’t seeing the child at all he should pay a little more to help.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
07
Sean K., 26, Unemployed

“I’m not presently working and I have twins; a boy and a girl. I’m able to contribute to their needs financially through my unemployment [checks]. I’m not working so the court system should take that into consideration. I do what I have to do [for my children] regardless. If it were up to me, there would be no alimony. What’s yours is yours and what’s mine is mine.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
08
Kevin G., 22, Security

“The amount of alimony a woman gets should be based on how much she makes. With Kelis and Nas, she should have gotten something but that was too much. Also they were together for less than five years. You should be together at least ten before you are trying to get money.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
09
Alfred I., 45, Train Operator

“My ex-wife and I came to an agreement ourselves about what I should pay her towards the caring of our teenage daughter. I pay child support every two weeks plus I still help out with things like back-to-school shopping and birthday parties. Spousal support? I don’t know, my ex-wife makes about as much as I do. As a matter of fact, she makes a little bit more than I do!”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Bridgette Bartlett
10
Mobolaji A., 23, Actor

“I think that child support should be based upon income and the age of the child. And if the father is not working, he can’t be expected to pay regularly for a child that both parents decided to have. I think that alimony should be based on income as well. If a woman has become accustomed to a certain standard of living while she’s married and her husband decides to leave her, I do think he is obligated to assist her in maintaining that lifestyle once they’re divorced. If you’ve been married for like 15 years, you can’t just leave her on the street if she had been depending on you [financially] for all that time.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Bridgette Bartlett
11
Rod M., 38, Health Care Management

“My wife and I didn’t even talk about a prenup, and I’ve been married 13 years. Spousal support should be conditional. If a woman is sitting around while her husband is busting his butt, and she’s messing up in some kind of way, she shouldn’t walk away with benefits. Some people get married for just that purpose – to leave with cash. Do your best to pick the right person and get married for the right reasons, and you don’t have to worry about it.”

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
12
Otis C., 47, Cook

“My daughter is grown, but until she was nine she lived with me. Once she lived with her mom, I paid child support straight to my daughter in her name. It taught her to budget. With spousal support, if you are married and a wife and kids have to move from a stable home, you should probably pay more than if you were single and had kids.”

Where do you stand on the child support versus spousal support debate? Sound off below.

Read how real men define cheating

What Men Think: Child Support vs. Spousal Support
Charreah Jackson
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now