WA, NJ, and 6 other states require "Child Support" until age 21/22

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   kathleenkatposted 12 years ago

   <snipped - no promotional links in the forums>
   
   I, for one, am completely shocked to learn that child support extends well into adulthood in some states. This is a little saddening that an adult can still receive child support from their estranged parent at the age of 22!
   
   I have always thought that child support should not be cut off at 18, but rather at the end of the child's 12th grade year, as most people turn 18 prior to graduating high school.
   
   But 21? 22? WOW... I am just baffled beyond belief. 
   
   
   
   Thoughts?

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      galleryofgraceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      In most states it is cut off at 18 yrs. UNless they are still in school then it is extended.  The definition of school varies with each state. They can also choose to collect their back support payments after they turn 18 even if the parent was never obligated or asked  to pay.

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         kathleenkatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, in most states, that is the case.
         
         With the exception of the states listed in the article I linked to here. What are your thoughts on states enforcing child support up to age 22?

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         Peelander Gallyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         It'd be really nice if it extended into college as a rule of thumb. How much the government estimates your family "can contribute" to your education is usually a sad joke, and still would be even with child support.

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   tussinposted 12 years ago

   Those exceptions are for yound adults who go to college full-time right out of high school. I think helping pay for college is the least that a non-custodial parent could do for his/her young adult offspring.  People from two-parent families are more likely to attend college and get support, while people raised by a single parent tend to be poorer and pushed into the minimum wage workforce sooner.  They're less likely to go to college, and statistically people who don't go to college are more likely to get divorced than college graduates.  Getting an education helps break the cycle of poverty and broken homes.

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      Peelander Gallyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I wonder which states do this and wish I had lived in one, seriously.
      
      Even the cheapest in-state public universities are expensive, and trying to get a scholarship (at least at the one I went to) is impossible unless you got straight A's throughout high school or are absolutely dirt poor. A cumulative 4.0, extracurriculars, volunteer work, a studio art portfolio, high SAT scores and an IB diploma didn't so shit for me, because my single mom and I weren't -quite- poor enough. The cost of tuition almost doubled while I was in school, too; it's about $7000/semester now. Higher education in the U.S. is just the introduction into a nightmarish cyclical system of debt slavery. It would have been nice if my deadbeat dad at least had to contribute a little something to help me out. /rant

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         kathleenkatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         It is listed in the article. WA, New Jersey, DC, and a few others. NY I have heard recently extended it.
         
         Yeah, that's why I did my first 2 years at community college. Then at the time, it was 5500/per year to attend the state school, although I am sure it is more expensive now.

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   the girlsposted 12 years ago

   I am not personally against with this law. It is difficult, especially financially, for single parents to provide for everything. In reality, responsible parenting doesn't stop at a certain age of the child.

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   april hollandposted 12 years ago

   Exactly the girls!  Providing for a teenager and young adult falls on the parent who is supporting the child and lets face it, helping your child doesn't stop at the age of 18.

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   ftclickposted 12 years ago

   Being mandatory is quite surprising considering you have these brainchilds out there who create start-up companies under age 18 or doing incredible feats as an athlete. That is very interesting & embarrassing as a country. Maybe the lawmakers look at the costs of college as being a factor in their decision or change in the law. Yet, 18 yr olds can drink, drive, and enlist in the armed forces.

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   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years ago

   Child support should definitely continue to age 22. Hey, why not 26 like the age parents can keep children on their heath insurance? If the support can not be collected from the noncustodial parent, it should be an entitlement paid by the government.
   
   I have been the custodial parent for my daughter for several years. She's now 18 and in college. The child support I received from her mother ended in June when my daughter graduated from high school. My daughter will be coming home from college for a week after her last class today. I suspect the first words out of her mouth, after she says hello to her cat will be, "Hey Dad, my bank account is getting really low."

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   tammybarnetteposted 12 years ago

   I have been on both sides of the coin and this is my HO....I believe child support should stop at the end of senior in high school, and then I believe those grown children who work, live on their own, and attend college should no longer be reflected on their parents income so that they may qualify for more help....My personal situation, my ex still owes me a large sum of back support, One of my daughters and my step daughter are already in college, my mid daughter will start next fall....My husband however, had to pay a ridiculously high amount of child support to his ex wife who remarried someone of great wealth...his daughter came to live with us when she was 16, the child support his ex had to pay was not even equal to a third of what he paid...His son had aged out at 18, we still had to pay an outragious amount even though our household had three other children..then she comes to live here, we have 4 children living in our home and mother has to pay pennies..we ended up telling her she did not have to pay anything if she would just please help pay the cost for the childs senior year which is extremely expensive....My step-son is 22 and step daughter20, if we were still paying for total support for them we couldn't make it, and my two daughters would not be able to attend college at all......

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   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   Having child support should end when they become an adult. If they get married,does the parent  still receive it?
   Maybe going to college and earning a degree;not partying and wasting the money should be a prerequisite as well.

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      kathleenkatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It generally ends when they get married, even if they wed before turning 18.
      
      That was what I thought of, too. When I was in college, the avid partiers were those who were their on their parent's bill, not paying it for themselves. I wonder if they can enforce a full-time student requirement; I saw on there one of the states required a minimum of 5 credit hours per semester, which is pathetic. You have only 5 credits, you have time for a job.
      
      It just doesn't make sense to me, because regular parents are only required to support their children through high school, and not required to through college. Why estranged parents? I don't get it.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Having pursued post-graduate degrees I was not working and self supporting until then and both my parents contributed financially at times (although I mostly covered my day to day costs).  I guess I don't see why that should be different for absentee parents, if there is a genuine need.
   
   I think you will find the adult support is needs based, not automatic.

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