Family Law · Child Support

How to Stop Child Support When a Child Turns 18 in Pennsylvania

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Child support in Pennsylvania does not stop automatically when a child turns 18 or graduates from high school. You must file to terminate the order. Until the court formally closes the support order, payments continue to accrue at the existing rate and missed payments become enforceable arrears. Stopping payments without filing can create greater financial exposure than continuing to pay while the petition is processed. For a full explanation of when child support ends in Pennsylvania, including the graduation rule and exceptions, see that page.

For a complete overview of your options, see our Pennsylvania child support practice area.

Support Does Not Stop Automatically

A child turning 18, graduating from high school, or moving out of the custodial parent’s home does not close a support order. The Domestic Relations Section (DRS) does not terminate orders on its own. The paying parent must initiate the process by filing a petition. Until that petition is filed and the court enters a termination order, the existing obligation remains in full effect. Every payment that comes due under the order is owed regardless of the child’s age or living situation.

How to Terminate a Support Order

The process for terminating a child support order is governed by Pa.R.C.P. 1910.19. The paying parent files a petition to terminate with the DRS or the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the order was entered. In Allegheny County, the petition is filed with the DRS located in downtown Pittsburgh.

• In straightforward cases where the child is over 18 and has graduated from high school, the DRS may process the termination administratively without a hearing
• If the other parent disputes termination, such as claiming the child is still enrolled in school or has a qualifying disability, the matter is scheduled for a hearing before a support master
• The support order remains in effect during the pendency of the petition until the court enters a formal termination order
• The paying parent should continue making payments at the ordered amount until the order is officially closed to avoid accumulating arrears

What Happens If You Don’t File

The order continues as if nothing changed. Every month that passes without a termination petition is a month at the full ordered amount. Payments that come due after the child ages out but before the order is closed are treated the same as any other missed support payment. Pennsylvania enforces unpaid support through wage garnishment, driver’s license and professional license suspension, tax refund interception, and contempt proceedings. These enforcement tools apply regardless of the child’s age. A parent who stops paying at 18 without filing a termination petition may face enforcement action on months of accumulated obligations that would not have existed if the petition had been filed promptly. For how child support works in Pennsylvania and what enforcement tools are available, see that page.

Timing and Effective Date

The termination is effective from the date the petition is filed. Not the child’s birthday. Not the graduation date. A parent whose child turned 18 and graduated in June but who does not file a termination petition until October remains liable for the full support amount from June through October. The DRS does not apply terminations retroactively to the date the child aged out. Filing promptly is the only way to limit the period of continued obligation.

Arrears Do Not Disappear

Any arrears that accumulated before the termination date remain enforceable. Closing the support order eliminates the ongoing obligation but does not eliminate the debt for payments that were already owed. Arrears survive the child’s emancipation and remain collectible through the same enforcement mechanisms available for current support. The obligation to satisfy accumulated arrears continues until the balance is paid in full, regardless of how old the child is when the balance is finally resolved. For the related process of modifying a child support order, including modifications based on changed circumstances, see that page.

Terminating a child support order requires a filing, not an assumption. The process is straightforward in most cases, but the consequences of not filing are real. A parent whose child has aged out of eligibility should file a termination petition with the DRS promptly to close the order and stop the obligation from continuing to accrue.