Can parents legally refused to provide support for 18-year-old who is still in high school?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, hoping someone is sufficiently familiar with Washington DC law to answer this question. Can parents of an 18-year-old who is still in high school refused to provide housing or financial support to that child?

This is a legal question, not a moral question. I know that in DC, the child support obligations of a divorced noncustodial parent extend beyond a child’s 18th birthday if that child is still in high school. I’m assuming, but don’t know for sure, that this also implies that non-divorced parents cannot simply decide, when their high school student child turns 18, to tell that child he is on his own and must support himself. Can anyone confirm this or clarify?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

There is an obligation to support your kids in DC until 21 --- the exact details of that obligation are unclear, but there is one.

[Anonymous]

PP, do you have a source you can provide for that? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an obligation to support your kids in DC until 21 --- the exact details of that obligation are unclear, but there is one.

There is someone who always posts this information. It is not true. In DC the age of majority is 18 and at that point, there is no legal obligation to support the child. That may differ in the event of incapacity.

In Maryland, on the other hand, the child has a right to continue receiving support to the earlier of their 19th birthday or high school graduation. Also, in MD there is a duty to support a destitute adult child if you have the means - applies in the case of physical or mental condition that prevents self support.

[Anonymous]

10:41, what is *your* source?

Every source I can find says that in Dc, the child support obligation extends to age 18 OR, if the child is under 21 but still in high school, until that child finishes high school or turns 21, whichever comes first.

See https://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/divorce-and-children/child-support-dc.htm

https://www.crckids.org/legal-resources/family-law-overview/d-c-law/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:41, what is *your* source?

Every source I can find says that in Dc, the child support obligation extends to age 18 OR, if the child is under 21 but still in high school, until that child finishes high school or turns 21, whichever comes first.

See https://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/divorce-and-children/child-support-dc.htm

https://www.crckids.org/legal-resources/family-law-overview/d-c-law/

In the District of Columbia, that generally occurs when a child reaches 18 years of age, but shall not affect any common-law or statutory right to child support up to an age of 21. It is not a general duty to support up to age 21. Only kids with some sort of special need will qualify to stay in high school until age 21.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an obligation to support your kids in DC until 21 --- the exact details of that obligation are unclear, but there is one.

There is someone who always posts this information. It is not true. In DC the age of majority is 18 and at that point, there is no legal obligation to support the child. That may differ in the event of incapacity.

In Maryland, on the other hand, the child has a right to continue receiving support to the earlier of their 19th birthday or high school graduation. Also, in MD there is a duty to support a destitute adult child if you have the means - applies in the case of physical or mental condition that prevents self support.

Maryland doesn’t enforce it in CS. My XH sent the last check in Feb that year. DD turned 18 in March and graduated in June. No consequences for him.

[Anonymous]

Curious as to why you’re asking. Is this for your own child or is someone else you know considering cutting off their child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10:41, what is *your* source?

Every source I can find says that in Dc, the child support obligation extends to age 18 OR, if the child is under 21 but still in high school, until that child finishes high school or turns 21, whichever comes first.

See https://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/divorce-and-children/child-support-dc.htm

https://www.crckids.org/legal-resources/family-law-overview/d-c-law/

In the District of Columbia, that generally occurs when a child reaches 18 years of age, but shall not affect any common-law or statutory right to child support up to an age of 21. It is not a general duty to support up to age 21. Only kids with some sort of special need will qualify to stay in high school until age 21.

Again, source? Without a source there is no way to know if that is accurate.

[Anonymous]

Morally, it’s horrible. Legally, the sources cited above suggest a legal obligation to provide financial support through high school even for a child who has turned 18.

How easy or hard it is to enforce that is a separate question. I imagine DCFS would not view it as a priority, but hiring an attorney to take the parents to court to get force support might be quite effective.

[Anonymous]

^^ I mean, morally horrible for parents to refuse to support an 18 year old high school student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Morally, it’s horrible. Legally, the sources cited above suggest a legal obligation to provide financial support through high school even for a child who has turned 18.

How easy or hard it is to enforce that is a separate question. I imagine DCFS would not view it as a priority, but hiring an attorney to take the parents to court to get force support might be quite effective.

I think that by the time someone is asking this question, things must be pretty bad in the family. Either the child has serious issues that make life extremely difficult and maybe dangerous for the family or the family has financial issues and can't handle the child's needs or the family is so dysfunctional that they are not capable of the desire to care for their child. I guess there could be more reasons, but I can't envision any scenario that isn't sad for all involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Morally, it’s horrible. Legally, the sources cited above suggest a legal obligation to provide financial support through high school even for a child who has turned 18.

How easy or hard it is to enforce that is a separate question. I imagine DCFS would not view it as a priority, but hiring an attorney to take the parents to court to get force support might be quite effective.

I think that by the time someone is asking this question, things must be pretty bad in the family. Either the child has serious issues that make life extremely difficult and maybe dangerous for the family or the family has financial issues and can't handle the child's needs or the family is so dysfunctional that they are not capable of the desire to care for their child. I guess there could be more reasons, but I can't envision any scenario that isn't sad for all involved.

I went to school with a guy that got kicked out by his parents the day he turned 18. He was EXTREMELY smart, and kind of a jerk about it (in a know-it-all kind of way), but otherwise harmless. The parents were UMC (psychiatrist/dentist). I didn't get it. The kid was working full time, and putting himself through two degrees in two different schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Morally, it’s horrible. Legally, the sources cited above suggest a legal obligation to provide financial support through high school even for a child who has turned 18.

How easy or hard it is to enforce that is a separate question. I imagine DCFS would not view it as a priority, but hiring an attorney to take the parents to court to get force support might be quite effective.

I think that by the time someone is asking this question, things must be pretty bad in the family. Either the child has serious issues that make life extremely difficult and maybe dangerous for the family or the family has financial issues and can't handle the child's needs or the family is so dysfunctional that they are not capable of the desire to care for their child. I guess there could be more reasons, but I can't envision any scenario that isn't sad for all involved.

I went to school with a guy that got kicked out by his parents the day he turned 18. He was EXTREMELY smart, and kind of a jerk about it (in a know-it-all kind of way), but otherwise harmless. The parents were UMC (psychiatrist/dentist). I didn't get it. The kid was working full time, and putting himself through two degrees in two different schools.

Also knew a similar case. Was just the family way of doing things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious as to why you’re asking. Is this for your own child or is someone else you know considering cutting off their child?

OP here. Question is not about my family. Relates to the situation of a young person we know well.