Q: Our 16 year old lives and works independently outside the home. Will my husband need to pay child support?
A:
In most circumstances, a parent can be required to pay child support until a child reaches eighteen years of age and thereafter until the child graduates from high school as long as the child remains enrolled in secondary school.
At age 17, if a child is financially independent, the child can file a petition for emancipation. If granted, a parent will not be ordered to pay child support in most circumstances.
A:
Yes, your husband may still need to pay child support for your 16-year-old child, even if they live and work independently outside the home. Child support in Texas generally continues until the child reaches the age of 18 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
For example, if the child is deemed emancipated, the parent is no longer obligated to pay child support. Emancipation is a legal process that allows a minor to be treated as an adult for certain purposes. A child can be emancipated in Texas by getting married, entering the military, and becoming financially independent.
If the child is emancipated, the parent is no longer obligated to pay child support.
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