What is child support? Is a parent obligated to support the child during…

Child support refers to the legal obligation to support a child financially or an amount owed to a county for reimbursement of public assistance paid to support that child. The father and mother of a minor child have an equal responsibility to support the child.

A parent will only be expected to pay for college expenses if there is an agreement to do so that has been filed with the court and it is not an undue burden on the parent to do so. A judge may modify such an agreement if it is found to be too burdensome.

The duty to support the child terminates when the child is 18 years of age and out of high school. If the child is in high school, then support continues until the child graduates or turns 19, whichever is first.

Hal Bartholomew is a family law attorney and mediator in Sacramento, California. He can be reached at (916) 288-9251 or (866) 860-2447.