Does the biological father have any financial responsibilities after age 18 for a handicapped daughter?
Question Details:
My step-daughter is handicapped and is soon to be 19. Her mother and I are the legal guardians. Does her biological father have any financial responsibilities? The divorce decree stated child support up to age 18. The biological father is asking an attorney to draft up a letter for my wife to sign to state that he does not owe anything else and to close the account at the domestic relations office.
Divorce, Marriage, Alimony Law Answers
Ordinarily, if the child isn't continuing her education, child support ends at 18, because the child, once out of school, is considered "emancipated," able to support herself at least in theory. Child support does, however, often continue beyond 18, for children in college, although for on-campus students the obligation changes to a portion of the costs and expenses of college, rather than regular payments to the other parent.
Your wife, though, should talk to a lawyer, to see if the court would grant a motion to extend child support, if your step-daughter's handicap means she can't support herself. This isn't the usual case.
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