When does child support end in New Jersey?

In the state of New Jersey, there is no specific age when child support is intended to end. There are some options that can contribute to the end of this payment process though. One option is for one parent to relieve another parent of their duty to fulfill child support in a written agreement. If the child turns 19 and is financially independent, a parent may ask the court to file papers to make the child emancipated, which will then cause the child support to stop. With both these situations, child support payments can stop being made, signifying the end of the process.

How is child support decided?

New Jersey child support laws were created to put the needs of the child first to ensure that they are being provided for. To decide a sufficient amount of child support that is needed for the child, they consider many factors. The parents’ lives are taken into account to reflect on how much they can pay. New Jersey courts review various factors to decide the best support structure. These factors consist of the financial status of each parent, each party’s work history and each party’s earning capacity. In addition, the income, debt and assets of each parent are considered. This all helps to determine how much each parent can provide for the child. The amount of time the child spends living with each parent is also taken into consideration. These factors take into account how much each parent provides for the child throughout the years and how much they can provide in the future to ensure a stable living situation for the child.

Not only do the courts consider the financial status of each parent, but they must examine the well-being of the child. Since the court needs to decide with the best interests of the child in mind, they consider a variety of factors relating to the child’s overall health. This includes the child’s needs, age, health, education and the cost of providing for the child, including daycare. All of these aspects help to decide how much child support is needed to keep a consistent living for a healthy child or to improve their overall well-being.

Parenting time is an aspect that is taken into account by the court to decide how much a parent already provides for a child on a regular basis. This may have a huge impact on their decision. For example, if a child lives with one parent a majority of the time, this can affect the structure they decide for the child support. Also, if the child has special needs, the court may raise the cost of the child support to fit the higher cost of taking care of the child’s everyday needs.

If you require strong legal representation for matters related to divorce or family law, Haber Silver Russoniello & Dunn is here to help. We proudly represent clients in Morris County and throughout the state of New Jersey. Contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.