IS CHILD SUPPORT AUTOMATICALLY REDUCED WHEN ONE OF THE CHILDREN TURNS 18?

Parents who pay a lump sum child support payment for multiple children may wonder if child support is automatically reduced when one of the children turns 18 and has graduated high school. Under Georgia law, there is no automatic reduction in child support due to one of multiple children reaching the age of majority. Therefore, a parent should not assume, for example, that a child support obligation in the amount of $800.00 is reduced to $400.00 upon one of two children reaching majority. The reasoning behind this rule is that it is assumed that custodial parents will still have the same expenses (i.e., same mortgage payment, rent, utilities, etc.) even if one of multiple children reaches the age of majority. Also, as Georgia’s Child Support Guidelines are used to determine the amount of child support, simply dividing a child support award by the number of children would not necessarily result in an amount that comports with the guidelines. If a parent seeks to reduce his/her child support obligation once one of multiple children reaches the age of majority, he/she should file a modification action with the court. If you have questions about child support modification, contact an experienced attorney at The Faucette Law Firm — (770)-485-6620.