Child Financial Support after Divorce and the Fatherless Phenomenon
A Study of the Pekanbaru Religious Court Decision No. 1272/Pdt.G/2020/PA.Pbr
Keywords:
Child financial support, Divorce, Fatherless, Religious Court, Protection of children’s rightsAbstract
Divorce does not only result in the dissolution of the marital relationship but also has serious implications for the fulfillment of children’s rights, particularly the right to child financial support and the continuity of the father’s role. The fatherless phenomenon following divorce has become a critical issue, as it potentially eliminates the father’s role not only in economic terms but also in emotional and psychosocial dimensions. This study aims to analyze the legal construction of child financial support after divorce as reflected in the Pekanbaru Religious Court Decision No. 1272/Pdt-G/2020/PA.Pbr, to examine the effectiveness of the decision in responding to the fatherless phenomenon, and to identify its implications for the protection of children’s rights. This research employs a juridical-empirical approach with a descriptive-analytical design. Primary data consist of the court decision, which are analyzed alongside secondary data comprising statutory regulations, the Compilation of Islamic Law, as well as legal literature and empirical studies related to fatherless and children’s rights. The analysis is conducted qualitatively by interpreting the judges’ legal reasoning and relating it to the principle of the best interest of the child. The findings indicate that the decision normatively affirms the obligation of child financial support and reflects the protection of children’s rights in the financial aspect. However, the effectiveness of the decision in preventing the fatherless phenomenon remains limited due to the predominance of a material-oriented approach, weak supervision and enforcement mechanisms, and the absence of institutionalized non-material obligations of fathers within the operative part of the decision. This study concludes that the protection of children’s rights after divorce requires strengthening the implementation of court decisions and adopting a more holistic approach to the father’s role in order to ensure the sustainable realization of the best interests of the child.
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