There is a movement to make men more responsible financially before their child is born
Throughout most of the country, the understanding between future parents and the law is that they must support the child until they're 18 years old. This rule extends to families that have been separated through divorce with child support payments mandated by the courts. However, what about before the kid is actually born – you know, those nine months that the mother has them in her belly, maturing?
A movement is afoot to legally make the male partner of conception, regardless of being present or not, partially responsible for the baby growing in the woman's system. They call it "preglimony," and those who are fighting for it want all of the costs associated with a pre-birth, whether it be Lamaze classes or an abortion, legally mandated to be a shared cost between the two parents.
One of the major roadblocks preglimony advocates face from the general public is that many claim that it forces the man to be a part of the woman's pregnancy. While you may think that's the point of their movement, those who argue against it believe that it will give men who are driving an abusive relationships undue influence to terminate or continue a pregnancy that a woman may want to do the opposite to.
The answer from pro-preglimony advocates is that those few abusers can't deter a movement that will assist an overwhelming number of women who are often left to fend for themselves when the men disappear. There is also an aim to make men more responsible in their sexual lives, underlining the need to use condoms to prevent possible pregnancy and spread of disease.
On the men's side, the argument is made that a common law would work both ways. Some men who want to help are turned away by their partner's parents or the woman herself under the idea that they've already caused enough damage. This would allow them a say on what happens.
Do you think there should be laws enacted to mandate a child's father to help out financially from the moment it's conceived?