Does Child Support Have An End Date?

If a Florida couple chooses to end their marriage, and they have minor children, the court will help them arrive at a workable agreement for time-sharing and parental responsibility – but will also impose a support obligation on the non-custodial parent in the overwhelming majority of cases. In most situations, child support will end when the youngest child turns 18, but there are situations where your obligation might continue.

Duty Owed To The Child

If you are in the middle of a divorce and negotiating child support, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that unlike spousal support, child support may not be waived or otherwise negotiated, such as in a prenuptial agreement. The right of support belongs to a child – it is not a right that belongs to either spouse in a marriage, so neither spouse has any right to negotiate it away.

That said, support is usually determined by the family court after entertaining a host of different factors, including both parents’ income, the length of time in which the children have stayed in a stable environment, the ability of both parents to provide a consistent routine, and the health needs – mental, physical, and emotional – of the children, as well as the preference of the children themselves (if they are of a certain age and are able to articulate their feelings).

Ends At 18 … Usually

If you are ordered to pay child support once your divorce proceedings have concluded, the obligation will last until your youngest child turns 18 in most situations – indeed, Florida law requires that the start and end dates of the obligation be explicitly stated in the court order itself. That said, the state does recognize two exceptions to this rule. One is fairly straightforward – support can be ordered to continue for a child who is sufficiently disabled to require it. This is done on a case-by-case basis rather than simply by diagnosis.

The other exception to the 18-and-out rule is if a young person is still in high school at the time of their 18th birthday. If they are “reasonably expected” to graduate before they turn 19, support will generally be ordered to continue until that point. If the young person will not graduate before then, support will usually be terminated around the 19th birthday. At that point, they are no longer considered a child, so support is no longer seen as appropriate.

Contact A Hollywood, FL Child Support Attorney

Most parents pay child support willingly, but it is also understandable to want the obligation to end. If you have questions or concerns about your own support obligation, a Hollywood, FL child support attorney from The Law Offices of Steven A. Mason, P.A. can help get them handled. Contact our office today to speak to an attorney.