How to Know When Your Child Support Payment Should Cease

For individuals who pay child support per court order, there are frequent concerns about how long they must pay said support.

In California, the law states that child support payments continue for any unmarried child, who is 18 years old, is a full time high school student, who is not self-supporting, until the time the child completes the 12th grade or attains the age of 19 years, whichever comes first.

Essentially this means that the support payments must continue until the day the child graduates from high school or the day the child turns 19, if they turn 19 while still in school. When the child reaches this stage, the parent that is paying child support may file a request to terminate the support order.