When do we stop with child support?

My husband has a daughter from a previous relationship. They where never married. The child support is coming right out of his pay. My question is: His daughter will be 16 in August, and she is in 8th grade now. By my calculation she will hopefully graduate HS when she is almost 20 years old. Does this mean he will have to pay until she graduates? Or will it stop when she is 18? We live in PA, since I heard that all the laws are different in each state
Additional Details
To the one that replied that I'm being greedy:

I'm not being greedy, he has been paying child support since the day they split up!!! The mother of his daughter lives with her parents, pays no rent, food, or gives any money to her parents. She is the one that is greedy, trust me. He gets taken for more support as soon as she can. The court does not care that he is already paying child support to his ex-wife. He is a great father and will do anything for his kids. However, we are trying to plan our future, and yes, money does come into that picture. So back off and give feedback and not critisism. This is a legite question, were I have heard many different answers. I thought this is the place to start asking questions and to point me in the right direction.

There has never been a written agreement regarding how long he has to pay child support, since they never married.So I figured there has to be a law somewhere in the state of PA that I can look up

guitarsoloist07

It depends on what the child support order states. Most of them say "until the child reaches the age of 18/19 or graduates high school, whichever occurs first". That is how it is in Virginia anyway.
He needs to look at the child support order. You can also call the Court that the order was done through and ask.

mr.c

if she is 16 in the eighth grade, college may not be in the picture.

at the rate she is going, she will be twenty when and if she graduates.

he probably needs to check out the laws in his state.

Dolphin Dawn

in Michigan it's 18 and graduated or 19 1/2, whichever comes first

Debbie B

It stops at 18. At 23 if she goes to college (not sure about this last one)

Batman

I think when you're 18, you're an adult. sooo yeah 18.

Cindy Choi

depend of what case you are in....but i think he will pay child support instill she graduate

stixy_stixy

I know that here in Canada, you pay till your child is out of highschool or 18, whichever comes first.

chivillry63

Contact a lawyer or you can check the laws either on the web or go to the court house and use the legal library to look it up, most states will require that he pay support until the child is 18 or finishes school depending on how the order was written, you can also try contacting the states bar assn. and see if they can help you, as far as he's already paying c.s. to an ex doesn't matter he still has a responsibility for ALL the children he bore

Poppy

In some states it's required until she graduates college or age 23. After high school if she does not attend college. This is unless it's written in to an agreement between the two.

ouragon

I know this doesn't answer your question, but why is this kid so far behind? I graduated when I was 16, a year early. If she has special needs, are they being adressed? She should be kept with her class to address learning disabilities, not failed. If her mom has let her get three years behind, I'd try to get custody. School failure is a good reason that judges will consider changing custody.

Douglas B

Most states may have the same clause that as long as the child is in school he is responsible for she is under the roof of her mother and that has to be paid for, no different than if she was living with you, it all has to be paid for. Usually until they are out of school or until they reached adulthood. But each state can have different spins on each ot these things.

SlyKitty

Call the Clerk of the Court & ask, but my guess is 21 yrs old. The court decides when the child support stops.

concerned1

He should support his daughter until she no longer needs it. That's what a parent does. You need to stop calculating anything. He made her, he pays for her. You sound like a very conniving women and I feel sorry for his daughter.

Lela A

As long as a child is a full time student, your husband pays child support..that is the law..parents need to support their children in all areas of their lives.

Nicole

In my child support paperwork it says 18 or until they graduate high school. He got the girl pregnant. Who cares if he is paying the child support. It takes two to tango. I wish my x-husband would step up and be a man. He hasn't paid a single payment. He owes me over 10,000.

wannaknow

Being greedy are we? It is his daughter whether they were married or not! Totally irrelevant to the question. He has to pay until she graduates high school. It's step moms like you that ruin relationships of children from an unfortunate relationship! Let him support the child! it is his duty!

Unforgiven

thanks for the queation, I will go look at my husband divorce decree, because my stepson is 18 and my husband does not owe back child support so I will have encourage him to stop it, unless th edivorce decree says otherwise.

mrs. lawson

as long as she is living in your house and you are having to take care of her the child support should be sent.
because she is still in high school.
so i would think that it would stop after graduation.

ceriece32

Funny how we always assume that the father should pay child support with no questions asked and if he questions anything about it he is not a good father. We just always assume that the mother is doing the right thing with that money. In my personal experience my husband has paid more child support to his ex and his daughters lifestyle doesnt improve because there are no laws making her spend the money on the daughter. This happens more then you know but everyone only attacks the father when questioning child support. Believe it or not, alot of cases the child should be placed with the father since money is such an issue for the struggling single mother and the father usually seems to be the one making enough to support the child. Alot of the times these single moms usually end up marrying again and the new husband has alot of say so. Alot of the times that custodial parent is actually the greedy one. TRUST ME.

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