Child support is the responsibility of parents to cover the costs of raising a child, including health care, education, and beyond. However, a parent’s financial responsibility in New Jersey does not go on forever.
The typical limits of child support
When a child turns 19, a parent’s child support responsibility usually ends. It can also happen before the child’s 19th birthday if the child marries, becomes emancipated, or joins the military. Child support payments are also terminated if the child dies.
When child support is terminated by the court, a parent who owes back child support will still be responsible for paying the amount owed. As the termination date is approaching, parents will receive a Notice of Proposed Child Support Obligation Termination, which provides information on how to petition for a continuation of support.
Payments can continue past the age of 19
In some cases, child support payments might continue beyond the age of 19, depending on a family’s situation or previous arrangement. Reasons for child support payment continuation include the following:
• The child is under the age of 23 but is a full-time high school, vocational school, or university student.
• The original support order included a later date than the child’s 19th birthday as a termination date.
• The child is fully dependent on the parents’ support due to a physical or mental incapacity.
Asking for an extension of the child support order
When a parent receives notice from the state that child support will be terminated, they can petition for a continuation of support. In the same way, if a parent receives notice of continuation of support, they might contest it. They might also ask for a modification of the support amount if only one child turns 19 but there are younger children listed on the original support order.