Parents in Michigan typically share responsibility for their children when they separate or divorce. Child custody orders outline the division of parenting time and legal authority over the children. Parents also have an obligation to provide financial support for their minor children.
A child support order can help ensure that the parents successfully meet the children’s needs. One parent may provide financial support to help ensure a consistent standard of living at both homes. In some cases, parents may establish their own child support arrangements through mutual agreement.
Most of the time, the Friend of the Court determines how much child support one parent pays when the support order comes from the family courts. Their financial obligations depend on the division of parenting time, the needs of the children and the income of both parents. How long the child support order lasts can also be different from one case to the next.
Support doesn’t always end on a teen’s 18th birthday
The parent paying support might assume that they can cease providing financial assistance once their child turns 18. However, many 18-year-olds still live with their parents and depend on them financially as they complete their high school education.
If an 18-year-old is still enrolled full-time in high school, then child support does not automatically terminate on their 18th birthday. Instead, it may continue until they graduate. However, there are limitations to how long the state can require child support from the paying parent.
Generally speaking, support ends once a teenager is 19 years and six months old, even if they have not yet secured their high school diploma. Parents paying support may need to plan for their obligations to continue beyond the child’s 18th birthday if they have not yet finished their high school education. They typically do not have support obligations that continue into the college years, although they can work with the other parent to help cover the costs of higher education.
In some cases, a young adult dropping out of high school could warrant the termination of support between their 18th birthday and when they are 19 and six months. Reviewing the order and the circumstances closely can help parents determine if a child support modification is appropriate.