Child Support in Indiana

My ex husband, who lives in California, quit paying child support when our son reached age 18. Our divorce took place in Indiana. My son is still living at home with me in the State of Indiana, and is a full time college student. His Dad said that when he reached age 18, he was emancipated. I say emancipated means he is fully self supporting, which he is not. What is the law in the state of Indiana? Also, in the divorce decree, it stated my ex was to pay for all medical, dental, and optmetrical expenses, which he never did. Can I collect those now, or is it too late? One last question Even though it says nothing in our divorce decree about paying for college, what is the law in Indiana in regard to this? Thank you ever so much!

Hi there in Indiana! This is just my opinion...

I just married an Indiana boy in the Navy with two children who are living with their mother in Indiana. I am pretty up on the guidelines there, because I could not BELIEVE this...the guidelines do set the emancipation age at 21. He is also required to pay for SOME college but that is done by splitting the cost into 3rds...1/3 for him, 1/3 for you, and 1/3 for your son. And it had to be ordered when the support order came down. If the order doesn't address it, you could mod it, but you have to ask yourself is it worth the expense of going back to court for $1500 dollars a year.

If you don't know if he has to pay for college, just check the support order. That being said, you can have the existing order enforced, and hit him up for back support owed.

As a side note, the General Assembly of Indiana is revisiting the emancipation age and the amt. that a NCP has to cough up for college. Under the legislation they are considering, emancipation age WILL go to 18, 19 if the dependent is still in high school, and limits the NCP's contribution for college to 1/3 the AVERAGE cost of going to a State school in Indiana...which will amount to about $800 dollars a semester. This has not been passed as law yet. When it does pass, all your ex has to do is go to court asking for a mod on the new emancipation age, and then all he will be liable for is college costs. I'd say get your money (the back support) while you can.