High school graduation is one of the most important milestones in a child’s life. It’s the culmination of 13 years of school, and it’s a rite of passage that signals your child is becoming an adult. For some, it happens right before a child turns 18 and officially becomes an adult, and for others, it happens right after.
It’s also a key moment for divorced parents who participate in child support. Per Texas state law, in most cases, child support obligations end for the paying parent when the child graduates from high school or turns 18 – whichever comes later.
Per Section 154 of the Texas Family Code, that’s the standard for child support obligations, though there are some exceptions either way. For example, if a child is “emancipated through marriage” prior to age 18, that releases a parent from child support obligations. Conversely, if a child “requires substantial care and personal supervision because of a mental or physical disability and will not be capable of self-support,” child support could be ordered beyond a child’s 18th birthday.
There are three considerations you should mindful of heading into high school graduation.
The first involves finances. If you’ve been receiving child support, you won’t be getting that money and will have to adjust your budget accordingly – especially if your 18-year-old high school graduate isn’t moving out of the house and you’re still needing to support that child. If you need to take on additional work or cut back on some expenses, it’s best to try to plan that at least a few months before the reduced income kicks in.
The second involves scheduling, especially around the holidays. Whereas the decisions for where your child would spend Thanksgiving and Christmas would largely hinge on what was in the divorce decree, it now needs to be the subject of conversation between you and your child – and the other parent.
If you’ve had a good, productive relationship with your co-parent around discussing holiday schedules, you have a solid foundation of communication to build on – but know that your child might be a wild card in the equation.
Make sure, as you’re planning, to keep those communication lines open and factor everyone’s wishes into a collective decision. While it might be a challenge to make everyone involved 100% happy, this is an important time to consider compromise. If your child’s going off to college, that first Christmas home — no matter which parent’s home — could be an emotional time for everyone involved. If you still have children at home and a decree determining their holiday destinations, you certainly want that to factor in.
Finally, think about the graduation itself. The day is very much about celebrating your child, and both parents should be involved in the big day, starting with attending the ceremony. But make sure you’re communicating and that your planning is appropriate. If you’re hosting a party and you’re comfortable having your co-parent over, then do that, but if not, you might consider a more low-pressure celebration at a restaurant with the co-parent and then a graduation party that involves a select group without the co-parent the following weekend. While both of you certainly want to be involved with the big day, it also should be something both parents aren’t dreading.
And, if you’re in the middle of going through a divorce and have a graduation to attend in the midst of it, maintain civility and recognize that celebrating your child should be the focus. Certainly, both parents want to be involved.
If you’re seeking counsel on family law matters, whether you’re considering a divorce or a decree modification, schedule an initial consultation with the Law Office of Lisa A. Vance. Our process intends for you to be further along with a strategy and direction than you might be with other firms’ initial consultations. Contact us to find out more about what to expect at that first meeting with one of our experienced lawyers.