\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The child dies. In most cases, child support ends when a child turns 18 or when they graduate from high school (whichever comes later.) wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. However, some alternatives allow you to reduce the amount or face the judges decision. Most states will grant a non-custodial parents petition to temporarily suspend child support if the parent has lost his or her job or has become disabled and is in the process of applying for disability benefits. medical records, if you have become disabled. 2021. If you are a parent going through a financial crisis and have fallen behind on your payments, a compensation court can lower your costs if you can prove that you really cant afford to pay the set amount. In the event of the death of a child, the obligation of the non-custodial parent to pay support also ceases. In addition, your credit score will suffer and it will become more difficult to obtain loans in the future. One reason for this is if the parent loses their legal rights to the child. If you have a lawful reason for stopping child support payments, and you want to initiate the process, you can visit your nearestfamily court(or the one that issued your current child support order). In most cases, child support payments will continue until the child reaches the age of 18. Second, the court could put you in prison for non-payment of child support as well as suspend your drivers license or put liens on any property you own. In other states, a parent can legally avoid paying child support when their child turns 18. When parents are divorced or separated, one of them will be granted custody of their child/children. If you and the other parent mutually agreed to lower the support payments, then you may not have to attend a hearing. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. To contest paternity, you will probably have to take a DNA test. If a child is still in high school at the age of 18, child support . Provided you meet all five of the above conditions, you can stop paying child support. How long will my retirement savings last? There are several reasons to cease paying child support. If the child is disabled. These rules and procedures will vary by local state and counties. Also, many banks have notary services available for a fee. Once you've established a child support order, you'll need to collect support from the other parent. Child support is a court order. You will file your Petition to Terminate Withholding for Child Support in the same court that issued the current child support order. Applying for DCSE services will allow DCSE to take action to collect support if payments stop, rather than just being a record-keeper. For example, you could technically continue to pay child support payments if your child struggles to complete high school and graduates at age 20. This article has been viewed 818,651 times. Present In most cases, you can stop paying child support when your child reaches the age of 18 or when they graduate high school, whichever takes longer to complete. Debrina Washington is a New York-based family law attorney and writer, who runs her own virtual practice to assist single parents with legal issues. The age of a child will also aid in terminating child support. You can check with the court clerk to see if they have a form. We encourage you to speak with a qualified Manassas attorney as soon as possible to identify your legal needs and begin developing a legal strategy. To do this, you or an attorney will need to file a Motion to Terminate Withholding for Child Support in the court that issued the . But if your child is disabled, then you'll have to continue child support even after he or she turns 18 years old. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. There is a 2.90% fee for each transaction (with minimum fee of $4.95 ). These documents can be a pay cut, termination papers from work, or a serious health situation that prevents you from keeping up the payment. The parent needs to reach out to the court and request the termination of child support payments. Often, courts will have special forms for joint requests. TEXAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL CHILD SUPPORTIn 2018, Texas collect/received almost $4.2Billions dollars.At the same time Child Protected Services was sanctioned $127. This factor is important because the expenses of raising children do not double for each child you add. Here we will teach you some secrets you should know to lower the monthly amount. References. 2. Courts will look at different factors, depending on state. You can find relevant forms by visiting this. If for some reason a parent is refusing to pay, you can contact local family support lawyers to enforce and collect the court-ordered child support from the ex-spouse. If you are struggling to make your monthly child support payments, you may be tempted to simply stop paying. If you are struggling to make your child support payments, you may be wondering what options are available to you. Non-custodial parents who are no longer responsible for child support payments should maintain adequate records regarding payments made toward the child's upbringing. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. The form may also be called an Uncontested Motion. Many courthouses provide notary services as well. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a0\/Not-Pay-Child-Support-Step-11.jpg\/v4-460px-Not-Pay-Child-Support-Step-11.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a0\/Not-Pay-Child-Support-Step-11.jpg\/aid2490642-v4-728px-Not-Pay-Child-Support-Step-11.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"