You Shouldn’t Have to File for a Modification
Video Transcribed: Child support does automatically terminate when the last child ages out. I’m an attorney in Tulsa, James Wirth. We’re doing topics related to Oklahoma child support in the Oklahoma child support guidelines. And this one deals with what about when the last child ages out. Your child support amount will continue to be the same unless and until you file to modify it.
But what about when the last child ages out? Well, it should be automatic. When the last child reaches 18 years of age, or 20 years of age if they were previously after the age of 18 continuously enrolled in high school, that child-support obligation should stop.
However, DHS, if they’re doing collections, or maybe the other parent if they’re not completely involved in the child’s life, may not realize when the child reaches or should know when they reach 18 years of age, but may not know when the child graduates, which if the child graduates after the year age of 18, then it’s the timeframe where the child graduates or completes high school that ends the child-support obligation, has the child aging out unless the child does not graduate until the age of 20, which case it stops at 20 unless case the child drops out of high school, in which case it stops after the age of 18 when that occurs.
So when that happens, you may have to give notice to DHS. You may have to file a notice with the court and give notice to the other parent, but it’s supposed to be under the law automatically. You shouldn’t have to file for a modification. It’s just more of giving the notice to stop an income assignment if it is in place.
You’re dealing with this issue, have questions related to child support in Oklahoma, and you’ll want to talk to a Tulsa Family Law Attorney privately, confidentially, about your circumstances. To get that scheduled with somebody at my office, you go to makelaweasy.com.
