Does child support end at age 18 or high school graduation?

Attorney Tom Olsen: All right, let’s go to Daniel. Daniel, you’re on News 96.5. Go ahead.

Daniel: Good afternoon, how are you doing? I guess it’s still morning. Mediated settlement agreement for a divorce that occurred several years ago called for me to pay child support until my child was 18 and my child is getting close to 18, and now I’m told by my children’s mother that I actually have to pay it until they graduate high school. So I wonder--

Attorney Tom Olsen: Yes, Daniel, I think if you went back and looked at your settlement agreement, you’re probably going to see that you’re thinking wrongly. That the typical settlement agreement and the law provides that you pay child support until a child reaches age 18 or graduates from high school, whatever comes later.

Daniel: And our settlement agreement is silent on that part. It just says through the child’s 18th birthday.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Paul is my divorce attorney and he might shed some light on this if he calls us back here, Daniel. But I got a feeling that, especially since it’s silent, that you’ll have to pay child support until your child graduates from high school.

Daniel: Well, there you go. Thank you for your help.

Chrissy: And Daniel, you can also call right now 407-423-5561, attorney Paul Newnum, divorce attorney, right there, right now. He will be able to definitely answer that question for you immediately.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Very good, thank you.