kid quit school - still have to pay?

[ginnyz3]

Massachusetts - my stepdaughter quit school last year at 16, now is 17 and her mother is moving to Florida soon. If she is not in school and is able (but lazy) to support herself, does my husband still have to pay child support? thanks.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Massachusetts - my stepdaughter quit school last year at 16, now is 17 and her mother is moving to Florida soon. If she is not in school and is able (but lazy) to support herself, does my husband still have to pay child support? thanks.

My response:

And EVERYBODY wonders, and argues with me about, why I won't respond to a stepparent's questions.

IAAL

 

[meleahk1]

If she is not in school and is able (but lazy) to support herself, does my husband still have to pay child support?

I'm a stepparent and I have enough sense to know the answer to this.

YES! He still has to pay. why would he not! IT don't matter whether the child goes to school or not, is lazy or not, cleans the toilets or not, HE STILL HAS TO PAY!

I am a wonderful stepparent, and it's stepparents like you who give those of us who are good stepparents a bad name.

my stepdaughter quit school last year at 16, now is 17 and her mother is moving to Florida soon.

She is not old enough to take care of herself!

TO IAAL:

Because sometime they ask stupid questions and come off as the evil stepparent? That would be my guess!

 

[Grandma B]

Re: Re: kid quit school - still have to pay?

My response:

And EVERYBODY wonders, and argues with me about, why I won't respond to a stepparent's questions.

IAAL

Not everybody!!

I was thinking, if this "kid" is too lazy to support themself, the dad should become just as lazy and let his second wife support him for a while.

 

[wtd]

Since the child is too lazy to support herself, I think not only should the husband no longer be (partially) responsible for the support of the (minor) child that he fathered, he should take our original poster immediately to the nearest dealership and buy her a nice new car with all the money that he will save, just as a small token of appreciation for her having thought up this budget balancer.

What's Dad think of this bright idea - or haven't you hit him with it yet?

wow, the idea -
wtd

 

[scumcoast]

Most states enforce support orders as long as the teenager is still under parental supervison not on if they are in school. You did not say if the 17 year old was at home with the mother so I guess she is.

 

[Taz93]

I live in mass. also. My step-daughter quit school at 16 and the kicker was she lived with her dad and me. His other daughter, got pregnant and had the baby was still in high school and her father still paid child support. She graduated from high school and then got married to the father of her child.

Not all step moms are the same. LOL So what if she quit school, doesn't mean she doesn't need to have a roof over her head, food on the table etc.. Now, if the child is NOT living with mother then I would talk with an attorney about where child support should go to now that the child is no longer with mother. JMO

 

[setha]

Ok, I think you guys got a little rough on the gal here. I think her question is valid. My husband was paying on his son, and the son didn't graduate, but he turned 18, so the point was moot. However, if the child quits school, and is under age (18 usually), can't you get them declared as "emancipated" as long as they are working? I am all about still supporting the child, but if she is living with mom, not doing a thing, not trying to better herself, that would frustrate me as the non-custodial parent, too. You folks with more "legal" expertise...got some comments?

 

[wtd]

Let's change the situation slightly to get some perspective and for our purposes, let's say the child is a boy -

'My son, who lives with me decided to quit school and will not get a job, do I have to keep feeding him?'

Changing where he lives doesn't change the answer.

wtd

 

[setha]

I am just saying that IF the child is under age and DOES move out of the custodial parent's house, therefore supporting themselves with a job, etc, then why is that not considered "emanciapted" and they are on their own at that point? Either a boy or girl, doesn't matter. I am not saying this is "right" or "wrong", just questioning the legalities of it.

 

[wtd]

Setha-
Actually, I think we're both heading for the same town, on the same road, just from different directions.
Our original poster isn't even on the map.

Slowly but surely through this thread the circumstances given in the original post have blurred.
I would agree with you were the conditions as stated in your last post, however, they are not.
Minor child still lives with Mom.

I believe that we would agree that if a child decides to head out on their own, be responsible, get a job or further their education, whatever, that they should be allowed to do so. I would suppose that they could call themselves emancipated - being minor child or no. (Note - I think it should be done with the support and guidance of the parent(s)).

However, our original poster suggests that she wishes to rid herself of the burden of supporting her husband's child because poster feels that the child is old enough to work, yet will not because the child is lazy. Poster simply resents the child because poster and husband have to support the child, while child sits around watching Jerry Springer or whatever and Mom spends most of her day making trip after trip to the bank cashing checks from Pop.

I think that while child is still living with Mom, it's still Pop's job to buy some groceries and Pop's new wife will have to keep clipping coupons for two more years.

wtd
(was just going to put my 2 cents worth in but Tuesdays are 2 for 1 day so it wound up being 4 cents worth )

 

[setha]

Okay, LOL, that was a funny one. I guess I didn't "read" what you said into her post. I was giving her the "benefit of the doubt" thing here. Of course, if child is at home, watching Jerry Springer, and eating bonbons, or not, the father is still responsible. I was just saying as the non-custodial parent, I would be frustrated with the kid not trying to "better" themself and make something of themself by not completing high school at least. And like you said; the ex IS responsible in that situation. And if, indeed, the ex's wife was simply "trying to get out of supporting" the child, then coupon clipping will have to do it for the next couple years as well as biting the bullet.

 

[wtd]

Yup. Guess we've pretty much beat this thing to death.
Gee, 11 posts and no sign of the original poster, guess she didn't get the answer she wanted.

Have a good day setha,
wtd

 

[meleahk1]

Yup. Guess we've pretty much beat this thing to death. Gee, 11 posts and no sign of the original poster, guess she didn't get the answer she wanted.

Make that 12! I had to say this to you wtd:: lol, made my day.

 

[ginnyz3]

Ok, I think you guys got a little rough on the gal here. I think her question is valid. My husband was paying on his son, and the son didn't graduate, but he turned 18, so the point was moot. However, if the child quits school, and is under age (18 usually), can't you get them declared as "emancipated" as long as they are working? I am all about still supporting the child, but if she is living with mom, not doing a thing, not trying to better herself, that would frustrate me as the non-custodial parent, too. You folks with more "legal" expertise...got some comments?

Thanks, Setha, you seem to be the only one that understands.