When Does Child Support End in Colorado?

Each state has enacted its own laws regarding child support – how much it is, how it ends, and when it can be modified. Generally, child support ends when a child reaches the age of 18, 19, or 21 (in New York) in the United States.

While many states require that a noncustodial parent pay child support until their child turns 18 or graduates high school, in Colorado parents have to pay child support until their child turns 19. However, if the teenager is still in high school on their 19th birthday, child support ends one month after their high school graduation.

If you are going to be paying child support, you want to be vigilant when it gets close to your child’s 19th birthday or high school graduation. You don’t want to rely on the local child support agency to automatically stop deducting your child support payments from your wages or other benefits. Instead, we recommend filing a court action to ensure that the court formally stops your child support obligation.

“Are there any exceptions? Can child support payments last longer for any reason?” Yes, it is possible. Usually a child support obligation lasts beyond a child’s 19th birthday or high school graduation when the child is mentally or physically disabled and cannot financially support himself or herself.

Child Support Modifications

If you are getting a divorce in the near future, the court will review your financial circumstances at the time of the divorce and issue an initial child support order. However, the Colorado courts know that it’s common for financial circumstances to change over time.

If you wish to request a modification of the support order because there’s been a significant change in your income or the other parent’s income, you may ask the court. If a recalculation will adjust the existing support order by 10% up or down, a modification may be approved by the court.

Related: Can I Stop Paying Child Support if I Can’t See My Kids?

What could lead to a modification? Examples include a paying parent’s loss of employment, a significant change in how much time the paying parent spends with their children, or a parent’s return to school. On the other hand, in Colorado, remarriage and having to support stepchildren do not affect child support obligations.