Child support and home schooling?

Question

My X wife has informed that my son will be further home schooled past his 18th birthday.Because she has allowed him to take breaks to leave state and work with his stepfather.Should i have to pay support.And yes I'm filing a motion regarding support.Contacted F.O.C and they told me fully inrolled in school.Where do i stand?

Answer 1

Why do you need to file a motion? Depending on your child support agreement (or the judgement imposed on you by the court) you will no longer have to pay after he is 18 regardless of educational situation (unless you agreed to pay for further education...but that wouldn't be child support paid to his mother, it would be tuition paid to his school).

On the other hand, I would think that a caring father would want to continue to support his child if his child still needed assistance. Of course, there is no longer a need to give to your ex-wife so you could talk to your adult son and give any money directly to him.

Answer 2

You don't owe child support after his 18th birthday - he's legally of age.  Most kids graduate high school (public or private school) after their 18th birthday, I don't understand what the issue is?

Homeschooling isn't required to be done according to the public school schedule, only according to an annual minimum of days.  As long as he has met those minimums, he is considered fully enrolled - and he is allowed to graduate after his 18th birthday.

Do you not want to support your child, just because he's homeschooled?  Sorry, I guess I'm not seeing what the problem is.  Homeschooling is legal, she's complying with the state regs, and (unless the law has changed significantly since my dad paid child support), you aren't required to pay it after he turns 18.

Answer 3

Homeschooling is a great way to get an education but I would not think you should be required to pay child support past the 18th birthday, unless you want to pay it.   I think the laws, at least in our area, are for child support for a child who is going to college in some cases.    If you were looking ahead, then you will have some savings for his college expenses.

If your son is working with his step-father, then I would think he is providing for himself, at least partially.

I think you are right to take it to court.   Your ex- should also be  

financially  prepared for the day that child support will stop.

I don't think that the insurance companies who cover dependent coverage would cover an 18 year old who is in the 5th year of highschool  /homeschool.

Answer 4

I don't know which state you live in, but I live in Indiana and used to live in Wisconsin.  Both of them have similar laws.  The non-custodial parent pays child support till age 18, normally, but if the child hasn't graduated high school at 18, child support continues till age 19.

I don't know about you, but most people turn 18 sometime during their senior year of high school--they're adults legally but still students, therefore still dependents.  

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

You need to support your son.  Children graduate high school at different ages, i.e., my 18-year-old niece is still in 12th grade.  Hopefully, she will graduate this coming June; she will be 19 in August.  Even if your son attended public school, there is no guarantee that he would have graduated at 18.

Children do not magically become adults at 18, and you should support your child wherever he may be in the process.  Legally, you may not have to pay child support, but morally, you should provide whatever support is needed--like an excellent father should.

Answer 6

So, you blame her and feel put upon because you have to continue to support your offspring? Do you have some kind of guarantee that he'd have graduated by 18 if he'd have attended public school? Do you see nothing worthwhile in the experiences he has had outside of the brick schools? Do you not think his mother did the best she could for your son?

Why don't you want to support your child? His mother and stepfather will be continuing to support him. How is that only their responsibility?

PS Many kids have been able to receive child support payments on through college. I hope yours does too.

Answer 7

I can understand your concern.  There is always that hint of distrust that she drug out the education just to get more support.  You do need to file a motion.  And it wouldn't hurt to get a lawyer.  Plus, it might make you feel better to talk to the judge about the money going directly to the  18yo (adult) child rather than the wife if you do have to continue support. That's what happens with Social Security payment when a child is still in college.