What is the procedure for ending child support payments?

Being a parent is complicated, so it’s normal for people to have a lot of questions. Depending on the situation they may find themselves in, parents may have even more questions because they are not a couple, but still have to find a way to co-parent and raise their child together. Often, this means paying child support and finding ways to give the child the care they need until they can care for themselves.

It is important that any parent who is ordered to pay child support make their monthly payments on time for however long they are ordered to make payments. Many parents may be under the impression that once the child is 18 years old, or child support is no longer necessary, that the payments will stop. Although there will come a point in time that child support is no longer needed, this is not a decision that either parent can make on their own.

When a parent has questions about an end date for their payments, they are to discuss this with their local child support agency and request that the payments end. Every case is different, so just because one person no longer had to pay child support after a certain age, doesn’t mean things will be the same for another person. With this in mind, parents shouldn’t just assume their obligation to support their child financially ends whenever they decide.

If a parent is ordered to pay child support, they should do so without hesitation, even if that means they have to pay it past the date they were expecting to have to pay. It is not easy to raise a child. Because two people are no longer together doesn’t mean they can’t work together to ensure their child is properly cared for in the way they deserve. Any parent who would like to receive child support from their child’s other parent may want to contact an attorney for assistance.