How long does child support continue?
Each parent must contribute to the support of each of their children until that child is “emancipated”. Very few children today are “emancipated” on their 18th birthday. A child can be emancipated as early as age 16 if the child is legally married at that time, or as early as age 17 if the child joins the military at that time. But if a child goes to medical school, the child may not be emancipated until as late as age 26. Details on how long and much a divorced parent must pay for a child’s education after high school is described in a New Jersey Supreme Court case known as Newburgh vs. Arrigo, 88 N.J. 529 (1982). The issue of when a child is emancipated is often difficult and uncertain. Many parents who pay child support cause themselves great expense and difficulty by simply stopping child support payments when they believe a child is emancipated. The fact is that every court ordered child support obligation continues until it is modified or ended by a new court order. 3. Equitable
