How to Stop Child Support Payments in Texas

Here are the main reasons for how you can you stop paying child support and the typical means by which child support is terminated.

In Texas, can I stop paying child support when my child turns 18?

The general answer is Yes. When this situation occurs, it means your child has reached what the legal world calls “age of majority.” In Texas, when a child reaches their state’s age of majority, they’re capable of making their own legal and financial decisions. The court terminate support when the child has turned 18 or has graduated from high school, whichever comes later.

Exceptions to when you can terminate child support in Texas

Early termination of child support payments in Texas

Your child becomes emancipated: The court can decide that your child has become “emancipated,” meaning financially independent and self-supporting, and thus no longer in need of child support before they reach the age of majority. Common examples of emancipation include the child getting married, joining the military or leaving home.

Your child dies: When a child passes away, you are no longer obligated to pay child support for that child. If there are other children in the family, you will need to petition for a Texas child support modification.

You have a medical crisis: In certain circumstances, when the person paying child support is suffering from a severe illness and/or if they are nearing death, that individual may no longer be obligated to pay child support.

You discover that you’re not the child’s father: If genetic testing proves that you are not a child’s biological father, you can petition to terminate your parent-child relationship and stop paying child support. You will need to file that petition within one year of learning that you are not the child’s biological father.