Opinion ID: 1708123
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: General Rationale

Text: Some courts allow the obligor to make a unilateral reduction in the payment without any action by the court. See, Binns v. Maddox, supra ; Andler v. Andler, 217 Kan. 538, 538 P.2d 649 (1975); Cohen v. Murphy, 368 Mass. 144, 330 N.E.2d 473 (1975); Mooneyham v. Mooneyham, 420 So.2d 1072 (Miss.1982). Most courts, however, require a noncustodial parent to seek a modification of the decree to reduce or eliminate the child support obligation because of Social Security benefits paid to the custodial parent. Hence, in Chase v. Chase, 74 Wash.2d 253, 444 P.2d 145 (1968), the Supreme Court of Washington held that the onset of disability and the resulting entitlement to Social Security are changes in the condition of the parties to be considered in a modification proceeding, and the receipt of Social Security benefits does not give rise to a deduction absent affirmative action by the court. Therefore, other changes in the economic conditions of the parties would affect the amount of deduction permitted. Other courts have followed this rule. See, In re Marriage of Robinson, 651 P.2d 454 (Colo. App.1982) (disability and resulting entitlement to Social Security are changes in condition of parties to be considered in support modification proceedings, and credit to be allowed by trial court is discretionary, not automatic); Newman v. Newman, 451 N.W.2d 843 (Iowa 1990) (burden of seeking modification of support order rightfully lies with parent who seeks to offset support obligation against Social Security benefits); Hendricks v. Hendricks, 594 So.2d 1129 (La. App.1992) (justice or equity will not nullify or reduce alimony or child support award until judgment is altered or amended by operation of law); Gerlich v. Gerlich, 379 N.W.2d 689 (Minn.App.1986) (child's receipt of Social Security benefits from account of parent charged with support does not constitute payment from that parent but may constitute change of circumstances and grounds for modification of support order); Moritz v. Moritz, 368 N.W.2d 337 (Minn.App.1985) (receipt of Social Security dependent benefits is change of circumstances and factor to be considered in modification hearings); Burnham v. Burnham, 743 S.W.2d 568 (Mo.App. 1987) (burden of seeking modification of support obligation rests on retired or disabled parent seeking to substitute Social Security benefits for amount owed under divorce decree); Cope and Cope, 49 Or.App. 301, 619 P.2d 883(1980), decision aff'd 291 Or. 412, 631 P.2d 781 (1981) (father's sua sponte deduction of child's Social Security benefits from decreed support obligation barred by statute; rather, changes in father's obligation to pay support should be made only with approval of court upon showing of changed circumstances); In re Marriage of Hughes, 69 Wash.App. 778, 850 P.2d 555 (1993) (under appropriate circumstances obligor parent may be entitled to equitable offset provided there is no unfairness to custodial parent); Hepton v. Hepton, 25 Wash.App. 229, 605 P.2d 1288 (1980) (receipt of Social Security by child does not give rise to an automatic reduction of parent's support payment; it is one circumstance for court to consider in deciding whether to modify support award). Although by far, most of the cases in which courts have allowed an offset against child support have been for Social Security disability benefits, other state courts allow an obligor to offset court-ordered child support by Social Security retirement benefits. See, Cash v. Cash, 234 Ark. 603, 353 S.W.2d 348 (1962); Bradley v. Holmes, 561 So.2d 1034 (Miss.1990); McClaskey v. McClaskey, 543 S.W.2d 832 (Mo.App.1976); Mask v. Mask, 95 N.M. 229, 620 P.2d 883 (1980). The rationale for both types of payment is the recognition of the presumed decline in income. As the court pointed out in Potts v. Potts, 240 N.W.2d 680 (Iowa 1976), the purpose of Social Security disability payments is to replace income lost because of the employee's disability. Under these circumstances, it is equitable to treat dependency benefits as a substitute for child support for the period during which such benefits are paid. See, also, In re Marriage of Hughes, supra . In contrast, cases which have held that a noncustodial parent is not entitled to credit against his child support obligation for Social Security payments have reasoned that receipt of such benefits does not constitute payment from that parent. See, Hennagin v. County of Yolo, 481 F.Supp. 923 (E.D.Cal. 1979) (where parent is responsible for making court-ordered support payments, such legal obligation cannot be discharged by denominating children's disability insurance benefits as child support from parent); Marriage of Haynes, 343 N.W.2d 679 (Minn.App. 1984) (retiree has no property interest in Social Security benefits paid to child); Fuller v. Fuller, 49 Ohio App.2d 223, 3 0.0.3d 273, 360 N.E.2d 357 (1976) (Social Security benefits payable to dependent child of Social Security recipient inure directly to child, notwithstanding prerequisite status of parent; no indices of parent's ownership ever attach to such funds).