In the event of a divorce involving children, the noncustodial parent is responsible for paying child support to the custodial parent to provide care for the kids. Utah child support includes food, shelter, clothing, health insurance, medical care, and education.
In general, child support in Utah ends when the child turns 18 years old or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. Additionally, if a child becomes emancipated prior to reaching 18 years of age and marries, joins the U.S. military, or is removed from disability status, child support will also stop.
There are some cases in which the child continues to receive child support after turning 18 and graduating from high school, but either parent must show the court why child support should continue. For example, a child who has special needs and unable to independently support himself/herself financially can still receive child support past his/her 18th birthday.
If the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) collects child support from you--often by withholding payments from your paycheck--such payments would automatically terminate. To be safe, send an email (with a read receipt request) to notify ORS your child’s 18th birthday or the date of your child’s high school graduation and ask ORS to stop income withholding at that point. If for whatever reason ORS continues to withhold payment, you have a record of your request to stop payment.
If you are paying your ex directly, send him/her an email (with a read receipt request) informing your child support obligation will end when your child turns 18 or graduates from high school.
If you are interested in modifying a child support order in Salt Lake City, contact Lokken & Putnam, P.C. today at (801) 829-9783 to discuss your case.