PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Heim, Bradley T. TI - Does Child Support Enforcement Reduce Divorce Rates? AID - 10.3368/jhr.XXXVIII.4.773 DP - 2003 Oct 02 TA - Journal of Human Resources PG - 773--791 VI - XXXVIII IP - 4 4099 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXVIII/4/773.short 4100 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXVIII/4/773.full SO - J Hum Resour2003 Oct 02; XXXVIII AB - During the 1990s, expenditures on Child Support Enforcement increased dramatically, as did the amount of money collected in these efforts. This paper examines whether there is a link between the Child Support Enforcement program and the divorce behavior of married couples with children. Previous work, notably that of Nixon (1997), found a significant negative effect of Child Support Enforcement policy on the probability of divorce. However, using a panel of state divorce rates and policy variables, I find that, contrary to this previous study, Child Support Enforcement policy has no significant impact on divorce rates.