“Most stereotypes originate from a kernel of truth, but that kernel becomes so overwrapped with layers of myth that the stereotype often outgrows or outlives the underlying reality.”[1]
The trope of the “deadbeat dad” skirting his financial responsibilities at the expense of his children has historically garnered bipartisan criticism.[2] This image has been the impetus for decades of congressional bankruptcy reforms that have made it increasingly difficult for individuals to discharge or receive debt forgiveness for child support debts in bankruptcy.[3] Understandably, policymakers and scholars do not want the custodial parent or children to be in a worse financial position after allowing a debtor to receive forgiveness for…