Can You Collect Past Due Child Support Once Your Child Turns 18?

Not all parents take their obligation to pay child support seriously. If your co-parent is significantly behind on their child support payments and your child is reaching the age of adulthood, you might worry about whether you’ll ever see those expenses paid back.

Understanding Michigan’s laws on child support and what to do when a co-parent isn’t paying can help you identify when it’s time to involve a Michigan child support lawyer.

Child Support After the Age of 18

In most cases, child support stops accumulating once your child turns 18. That said, there are usually a few exceptions to this rule that can leave you collecting child support for a bit longer.

If your child turns 18 but is still in their senior year of high school, you may be able to have child support payments extended to their 19th birthday. And if your child has significant health needs that incur expenses, you might be able to request extended child support payments for the continued cost of care.

Generally, however, most child support runs out at age 18. However, that doesn’t mean your co-parent is off the hook for unmade payments. The amount of unpaid child support from your co-parent is still owed to you, regardless of your child’s current age. However, getting them to pay up might require legal assistance.

Michigan’s Laws on Child Support

Child support is a legal financial obligation. When a child spends a greater amount of time in one parent’s home, the other parent is legally obligated to help provide for their living expenses. These include things like rent or mortgage payments, utility payments, groceries, and other bills.

When co-parents aren’t on good terms, it can feel like everything is a fight — including child support payments. The parent ordered to pay child support often feels resentment about handing money over to you. As a result, it’s not uncommon for one parent to fall significantly behind on their child support payments. Unless you take legal action, that’s not likely to change.

Collecting Past Due Child Support

Sometimes, a co-parent falls behind on child support payments for a legitimate reason, like health issues or loss of employment. However, most of the time, failure to pay is a deliberate choice.

If your child is nearing the age of 18 and you’re owed past-due child support, your options include:

• Seeking a court order
• Withholding the other parent’s paycheck
• Withholding the other parent’s tax returns
• Placing a lien on their property

A child support lawyer can help you explore your options and take action to recover the money owed to you.

Consult a Detroit Child Support Lawyer Today

Gucciardo Family Law is a law firm serving clients in the Detroit metro area. We can advise you on the rules surrounding child support and help you create a plan to recover past-due support.

Call Gucciardo Family Law today to schedule a consultation with an experienced child support attorney in Michigan.