Do I Have to Pay Non-Minor Support When My Child Turns 18?

 Posted on July 30, 2024 in Family Law

Child support is a legal measure that courts use to make sure children’s needs are met after a divorce. Both parents are usually obligated to pay child support, though how much they pay depends on factors like custody arrangements and annual income. When a judge orders child support payments, it is after considering the child’s educational and developmental needs. These include any disabilities that might require extra care.

Parents may stop paying child support payments in certain cases, though you should always check with an Illinois child support attorney before you stop making child support payments.

When Can I Stop Paying Child Support?

Parents are usually absolved from paying child support in the following cases:

• If the child becomes emancipated

• If the child turns 18 and leaves high school

• If the child joins the military

• If the child gets married

In these cases, a parent may no longer be required to pay child support. However, even if a parent’s obligation to pay child support ends, he or she may still be obligated to pay non-minor support.

What Is Non-Minor Support?

Non-minor support refers to financial support a parent must give a child even when he or she is no longer a minor. This can include:

• Medical expenses: If a child requires serious medical care — such as in the case of a disabled child — the parents may be ordered to pay medical expenses for the child even when he or she becomes an adult.

• Educational expenses: Parents often are required to pay for their children’s college expenses, even though the children are no longer minors. These costs not only include college tuition but also books, room and board, living expenses, utilities, and more.

How Do Courts Decide If Non-Minor Support Is Appropriate?

A court will decide if non-minor support is required based on a variety of factors, such as:

• The financial resources of both parents

• The economic needs of both parents

• The financial resources of the child

• The educational, medical, and developmental needs of the child

• The child’s academic record

• The standard of living the child had when the parents were married

When Does Non-Minor Support for a College Student End?

Under Illinois law, a parent may stop paying non-minor support for a college student when:

• The child gets married.

• The child fails to maintain a C average.

• The child earns a bachelor’s degree.

Non-minor support payments can also end when a child turns 23. However, a judge may order a parent to continue paying non-minor support until the child turns 25 if there is good cause.

Contact a Wheaton, IL Child Support Lawyer

Courts take parental obligations toward their children seriously. At Goostree Law Group, we provide you with excellent legal representation and first-rate legal guidance in all things family law, particularly child support and non-minor support. Call 630-364-4046 to schedule a free consultation with a DuPage County, IL non-minor support attorney.