When does child support end? How do I end it?

The law says that parents are responsible for financially supporting their dependent children. Dependent usually means until the child turns 18 and sometimes longer.

A child is not a dependant if they:

  • marry, or
  • are at least 16 years old and leave home, which is called “voluntarily withdraw from parental control”.

Withdrawal from parental control means your child decides not to live with you anymore and not to follow your rules. The withdrawal from parental control must be voluntary. This means your child cannot be forced to leave.

A child who is over the age of majority, which means 18 years old or older, may still be dependent if they cannot support themselves because they:

  • have a disability or illness, or
  • are going to school full-time.

Even if your or says when ends, the responsibility to pay child support usually continues for as long as your child is a dependant.

When your child is no longer a dependant, you have to take steps to make sure the separation agreement or court order is no longer being enforced. You may have to contact the if they are enforcing child support payments. Or, you may have to go to court and bring a motion to change.

Child support is separate from access

The right to child support and the right to  or  are two different issues.  They are both rights of the child. A parent cannot be denied parenting time with their child because they do not pay child support. And a parent who does not have parenting time may still have to pay child support.

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