When does child support end?

[nawgem]

I need some info PLEASE.
My stepson turns 18 in august,he was suppose to graduate in may.His grades are so bad he will not graduate until next year,if we are lucky.Now Tennessee law says you pay until the child turns 18 or graduates with their regular scheduled class.What does that mean???We can't take much more payments the Ex is already taking us for everything she can.
Thanks

[jilly]

It means child support continues until you stepson graduates from school.

[purrrfectgirl]

Or when the child turns 19 if he hasn't graduated by then.

[nawgem]

that doesn't sound right. it says 18 or graduate with their regular scheduled class;so when he doesn't graduate because his grades are too bad and has to wait 1 or 2 more years that is not his regular scheduled class right? which would mean we are done when he is 18

[jilly]

The operative sentence is "18 OR graduate with their regular scheduled class". Even though he is graduating at a later date, that is considered his regular scheduled class because he's still in school. At least that's how I read it.  Most states child support ends when the child turns 18 or when they graduate from high school. So, technically, a child could turn 18 during their junior/senior year but the parent would still have to pay child support because they're still in school.

[nawgem]

i looked up the tn law and it says - a person who reaches 18 while in high school until the person graduates or the class of which he is a member when he attains 18 graduates,whichever occurs first???

[Kitty C.]

I think you're right. 'regularly schedule class' means the one he's consistently been in and I think they use that so that a CP can't keep holding back a child just so they can continue to get CS.  So if your child turns 18 after May, that is when CS terminates, but check to see if YOU need to file to have that done,  It is NOT an automatic thing, especially if you have your wages garnished.

[nawgem]

we don't have to do the termination thing thru court because we pay to her directly.the money has never been coming out of his check.
i thought about what you said before, when you think about it the child could hang out in high school as long as they let him and keep collecting money.

[norma]

It means whichever occurs first - if your stepson turns 18 in August - the support will end on his birthday. This way if a child does not graduate with his regular scheduled class (as is true in this case) the support will still end at age 18. That's good for you. Be happy you're not in NY - it would continue until age 21.

[nawgem]

Thank you, thats what I thought. Even that I know she will take us back to court to get more money.