For the most accurate information regarding the end of a child support obligation readers of this Florida family law blog are encouraged to turn to their operating divorce decrees. Individual child support cases are worked out pursuant to divorces and other legal proceedings, and as such, a person can find out case-specific information about their own situation by referring back to the order or agreement for support that was created for them. Generally, though, child support obligations end when children become adults or when they are otherwise no longer under the care of their parents.
A child may be considered an adult at the age of 18, but often parents are obligated to continue providing for their children until their children graduate from high school. Some parents agree to continue to support their kids through college, though laws generally do not compel parents to do so.
A child who decides to join the military while still a minor may emancipate themselves from the support of their parents. Emancipation can also occur if a child chooses to get married before they reach adulthood. Some children who are financially independent decide to legally emancipate from their parents when they wish to be in control of their own finances.
These are only some of the circumstances under which a child support order or agreement may end and parents who care for special needs children may find that their obligations last much longer than those of parents whose children are without impairments or illnesses. The best information about a unique child support case can be gleamed from the operating order or agreement that governs the terms of a parent’s current obligation.
