Q: Regarding a child who graduates high school, can you stop paying child support or do you need a court order to do so?
I am the noncustodial parent, paying child support for 3 children. The oldest is graduating HS. Will I need to have a court order to stop paying on the oldest or can I just stop. If a court order is needed, can I file one myself or is an attorney needed?
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A: Unless you have a per child order, that means an order that specifically says the child support for 2 children will be a different amount than it is for 3, you have to keep paying the ordered amount. Because the order is older, it is possible that the support for 2 children is about the same for what you were paying for 3, especially if your income decreased or the the children have activities. You should have a consultation with an attorney who can review your order and advise you whether it is practical to file a modification or to leave as is.
A:
If the current order doesn't give an end date and a new child support amount for the remaining two children, you will have to return to court to modify the order.
You don't have to have an attorney. However, you should consider consulting with one in an hour office visit. The information obtained during that visit should give you sufficient information to allow you to determine if it is better to hire an attorney or represent yourself.
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