Early Termination of Child Support

by Patricia from Quincy, Florida, Gadsden County

Can a father get child support terminated before the child is 17 in Florida? My ex has petition for child support to be terminated due to my 17 year old not attending school. However he is enrolled in the GED program now.

Prior he kept skipping and lost his driver's license due to that.

Also during that time he kept moving between my house and my mom's (who lives in a different county.

Every month that he was at my mom's I gave her $300 in cash (due to her being on SS). the father has not been a part on the child's life at all for the past 8 years.

Now 10 months before my son's 18 birth day he want to end child support. Can this be done? The child is living with me his mother and is in a GED program.

Answer to Florida Child Support Question

Dear Patricia,

Your ex certainly has a right to petition the court to terminate child support. But I don't think he will get very far.

Most Florida child support orders state that child support ends when the child turns 18. And it is common nowadays for a child support order to be extended until the child is age 19, if the child is still in school.

In Florida I have never heard of child support being terminated simply because the child is not attending school.

It sounds to me like your son is a typical teenager who grew tired of going to school, but quickly learned that he better go get that diploma.

Good for him. A GED is just as good, if not better, than a traditional high school diploma.

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