When Does Child Support End?

When children grow into adulthood, in general, child support is no longer appropriate. At that point, Georgia family law considers your child old enough to support themselves financially. While you and your co-parent may choose to continue providing them financial assistance and other support, as the noncustodial parent you will no longer have a legal obligation to pay child support.

The general rule is that a child support order expires when the child turns 18 years old. However, there is a key exception for those who have turned 18 and have not graduated high school. At that point, as long as your child is enrolled in high school AND attending school, your child support obligation is still in force. This exception applies until one of four things happens:

• Your child drops out of high school.
• Your child stops attending high school.
• Your child graduates high school.
• Your child turns 20 years old.

Paying for college is a big issue for many families. Many co-parents make an agreement to help their children pay tuition and other costs. Such agreements can be tricky, so you should consult your attorney before you put anything in writing.

Don’t Settle For Less When It Comes To Child Support Advice

At Family Lawyers of Atlanta, we help parents in the Atlanta area deal with child support and other family law problems. To speak to Attorney Terri S. Herron, call us at 404-418-7777, or fill out our online form to schedule a free initial consultation. Our main office is in Roswell, Georgia, and we have branch locations in Atlanta, Snellville, Marietta and Duluth.