This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Divorce, involving children or not, is often a contentious affair. When the contenders, or one of them at least, puts the well-being of the couple's children at risk, it's time for the state to step in, and step hard.

House Bill 15 now before the Utah Legislature is a tough but fair way for the Office of Recovery Services to intercede on behalf of children when their parents split up. It would suspend the driver license of noncustodial parents who flout the law and their responsibility to pay child support.

If a noncustodial parent is 60 days in arrears on support payments and can offer no valid reason, the Office of Recovery Services would have authority to suspend the person's license until payments are once again current.

The law wouldn't apply if the parent loses a job or becomes seriously ill. It's aimed only at those who are able to pay, but do not.

Taking someone's license may seem harsh. Nonetheless, driving is not a right but a privilege; 36 states use license suspension as a tool to motivate parents to stay current on payments.

Utah law, which allows the ORS to garnishee wages, try to convince a court to suspend recreational, professional or driver licenses, or, in extreme cases, file criminal charges, doesn't go far enough. About 72,000 people now owe a total of $325 million in unpaid support.

For many divorced parents, child support is the key to staying afloat financially. Sometimes, that check keeps them from homelessness or government welfare.

In any case, both parents have a responsibility to make sure their children are as financially secure as possible after a divorce.

HB15 rightly takes into account that a parent needs to be able to drive to work or school and to visits with the children and allows a special driving permit for those trips.

The bill's fiscal note estimates 2,000 individuals could receive a total of $1.7 million in child support if it were passed. That figure may be optimistic, since some parents might simply ignore the suspension, and enforcement is difficult.

Still, for many otherwise responsible parents, keeping their licenses might be enough incentive to stay current on payments. For the others, losing their license could convince them to change their ways. In either case, both children and the state would benefit.