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A young girl focuses intently on writing in a notebook at a cluttered desk, with a plush toy beside her and various stationery items around as she works diligently on an essay to terminate child support

Can I Terminate Child Support Payments? | What to Know

In New Jersey, both parents have a legal obligation to support their child financially. The goal of child support is to ensure that the child’s standard of living is the same or better than before the divorce. As a result, child support is carefully calculated, and once the decision is finalized, it can be difficult to change. That being said, there are a few reasons to modify or terminate child support payments. Read on to learn more.

Reasons to Modify Child Support:

It is important to know that you cannot stop paying child support unless you are told by a New Jersey court. Some reasons to modify your child support payments include:

  • One parent has lost their home
  • One parent has contracted a serious illness or sustained a serious injury
  • Their child has sustained a serious injury or contracted a medical condition
  • One parent recently took a significant pay cut or lost their job
  • There has been a change in federal income tax laws
  • One parent is now living with another person/has remarried
  • One parent has received a job promotion or has come into a large sum of money, via an inheritance or otherwise

When Can I Stop Paying Child Support in New Jersey?

In many cases, children are formally emancipated from child support payments in New Jersey upon their 19th birthday. However, under certain circumstances, parents can request an extension on their child support payments even after their child turns 19. If your child is looking to attend college or pursue higher education, you can request that the courts extend his/her child support payments until he/she turns 23 years old or graduates. While there are reasons to extend child support, there are also reasons to terminate child support early. Reach out to an experienced family law attorney to discuss your unique situation.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding child support and modifying your arrangement, contact our firm today. We are here to walk you through all of your family law matters.

Contact our experienced Ocean City firm

Matters of divorce and family law require the attention and skill of an experienced attorney who will fight for your future. Not only is your financial well-being at stake, but in a divorce, both you and your children’s emotional well-being are at risk as well. If you need a divorce and family law attorney in Ocean County, New Jersey, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Sarina Gianna, LLC today to schedule a consultation.