When Does Child Support EndWhen does child support end is a question asked by many women as they face the prospect of their children leaving home. What if my child enlists in the military or goes off to college? Will child support stop if my daughter is pregnant? A lot will depend on what was written into your divorce decree and if your state would consider your child emancipated. Below you will find answers to these and similar questions.
Terry's Question: My son will turn 18 next month. Will I stop receiving child support at that time, even though he is still in high school and living at home with me? At what point does my ex's obligation end? Brette's Answer: Check your court order. In most states child support continues past age 18. You can also contact the child support agency for assistance in determining the child support end date. »Return to top Will child support end if my son drops out of school? Karen's Question: Does my husband have to pay child support if his son drops out of school? Brette's Answer: It depends on whether your son becomes emancipated (living independently). Can he quit paying support if his 17 year old son goes to college? Victoria's Question: My boyfriend is paying child support on his 17 year old son. His son told him that he has gotten a full scholarship to college and will be living on campus. Will his child support then stop since the mother will not be providing anything for this child? Brette's Answer: No. Even a child on a full scholarship requires financial support since the scholarship covers only the cost of the education not other necessities. Good luck. »Return to top Does he have to continue support during college? Debbie's Question: My daughter is 20, and is late starting college because she had a rare nerve condition. She is beginning school this fall. We have been separated forever (12 years) but have no legal agreement, but he has been paying up to now. Also, my 18 year old son will going away to the university in September. Does their father have to continue paying child support for them? Brette's Answer: If you have no legal agreement, he's not required to do anything. Why don't you talk with him about your kids' needs and see if you can find a way to together support them and help them obtain educations. »Return to top Does support continue thru college if I'm paying for her housing? Sandra's Question: I receive $100 per wk. for child support per our divorce papers. I'm going to buy it a trailer and let my daughter stay there for free. I provide her food, pay her bills, her auto insurance, etc. My ex has said he will not pay child support anymore because she doesn't live with me. She will start college in the fall and he is supposed to pay support thru 2 years of college. My divorce papers say he has to pay until my child marries, becomes self supportive, or dies. I think he still has to pay, am I correct? Brette's Answer: Based on what you've said, it sounds like it. Good luck Can child support be changed to include college? Julie's Question: In our divorce agreement it says he is only responsible to pay support until our son is 18. How can I go about getting money from him for college? Brette's Answer: File for a modification of support. Good luck. Can support be reinstated when she returns to college? Lisa's Question: My daughter had to drop her college classes because she is going to be deployed. Child support enforcement told me she would no longer receive child support because she was not in college, even though it was not by choice. What, if anything, can I do to appeal this if they say she is no longer entitled to child support even when she returns to college? Brette's Answer: Usually enlistment in the armed services means the child is emancipated and child support is no longer due. Does child support end if the child gets pregnant? Destanie's Question: Does the father still have to pay child support if the daughter (who is 17) gets pregnant? What about whenever she has the baby? Brette's Answer: The answer depends on whether the child has become emancipated. If she still is being supported by her parents, then child support is still paid. »Return to top How is support affected when a child moves out on her own? Jessica's Question: My stepdaughter was recently pregnant at 17 and will be 18 soon. The baby died and now she no longer goes to school. She plans on getting her GED and moving out. When does child support end and does my husband still have to pay child support if she does this? Brette's Answer: Once she is emancipated (living on her own) child support is no longer due. He needs to get the order changed though to reflect that. Am I entitled to the child support if my Mom died? Tara's Question: My mother passed away two years ago. She was receiving child support from my father, and had a debit card that the money went onto. After she passed away, the card got shut off. Am I entitled to the child support that was on the card, and until I was 18? I am pretty sure that he owes back child support as well. I'm living on my own in Maine and don't have a job. I need the money for clothing as well as food. Brette's Answer: Since I'm assuming you are your mom's heir, you should inherit the money, as well as the right to sue for past due back support. If you are not her heir, technically the money belongs to her estate and whoever inherits that, gets the money. If you are under 18, your father still has a duty to support you and I'm assuming custody would have reverted back to him. However, it sounds as though you are emancipated since you're living on your own. In that case, he doesn't have any responsibility to help you financially. Have you thought about trying to talk to him and patch things up? You should get in touch with the Maine social services or department of family and children and ask them if there are any programs which can help you. »Return to top How is child support affected when the child becomes emancipated? Jen's Question: I'm currently getting child support with arrears included. My youngest daughter was told by her father to get emancipated, and the arrears would go directly to her. Is this true? Brette's Answer: When a child becomes emancipated, no child support is due - to the parent or the child. Do I still have to pay support if my child dies? Daniela's Question: Do I still have to pay child support if my child dies? Brette's Answer: No. Child support continues only while the child is alive. Return to top of When Does Child Support End Copyright WomansDivorce.com. All rights reserved.
Related Articles: Brette Sember is a former family and matrimonial attorney and mediator, nationally recognized expert, and author of many books including The Divorce Organizer & Planner, No-Fight Divorce, and How To Parent With Your Ex. This column provides general information about the various aspects of divorce. It is not intended to take the place of legal counsel and should not be considered personal legal advice. For specific recommendations concerning your situation, please retain experienced legal counsel. WomansDivorce.com and Brette Sember disclaim any liability from any claim arising from any information contained in this column. This column is not a substitute for legal advice. Divorce Process / Children and Divorce/ Emotions and Divorce Divorce Home / Divorce Guide / State Resources / Divorce FAQS
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