When Do Child Support Payments Stop?

 Posted on June 07, 2024 in Child Support

If you are paying or receiving child support, you might wonder when these payments will end. Traditionally, child support payments end when a child becomes a legal adult on his or her 18th birthday. However, this is not always the case anymore. There are several situations where a parent might be required to keep making child support payments after the child who is entitled to support turns 18 years old. If you need to establish child support payments or have questions about when these payments might stop, or if you have an ongoing child custody case, a Will County, IL child support attorney can help.

When Child Support is Still Owed After a Child Turns 18 Years Old 

The reality is that most 18-year-olds are not able to financially support themselves. It is very rare for an 18-year-old to be able to secure employment that pays enough for the new adult to live on. This means that most young adults still rely on their parents for support. Child support payments might continue after a child’s 18th birthday in the following situations:

• Mutual agreement - Parents can decide in their divorce or child custody agreements that the parent paying child support will keep making payments after the child turns 18 years old. Some divorce or child custody agreements address how the parents will handle college expenses like tuition or room and board. 
• The child is still in high school - It is incredibly unrealistic to expect a high school student to suddenly begin supporting himself or herself at the age of 18, at least without dropping out of school to find full-time employment. In the interest of allowing teenagers to graduate from high school, a parent can be ordered to keep making payments until his or her child finishes high school or turns 19 years old, whichever comes first. 
• Past-due support is still owed - A parent who is in arrears on child support must pay the full amount he or she owes, even if the child in question has come of age. Otherwise, a parent who owes child support could simply refuse to pay, knowing that the debt will be cleared as soon as the child turns 18 years old. 

Contact a Naperville, IL Child Support Lawyer 

Law Office of Ronald L. Hendrix, P.C. is committed to helping parents who owe or are entitled to collect child support. Our dedicated father-son team of Will County, IL, child support attorneys will do all we can to ensure that your child receives a fair and reasonable amount of support from both parents. Contact us at 630-355-7776 for a complimentary consultation.