Child Support ForTeen Not Living With Custodial Parent

Is there any legal way to pay child support directly to a teenager? My 16-year old stepson recently moved from his mother's house to live with his 18-year old girlfriend. The child support continues going to his mother who will not tell the support division that her son has moved out.

When we contacted the support division we were told that all they would do was ask the custodial parent if they wanted the money sent to her son if she admitted he had moved. If the child is not legally emancipated then we must continue to pay the mother until he is 18 years old whether he lives in her house or not.

My stepson is not seeing any of this money and it doesn't seem legal to me since it is called child support.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

File for court proceedings, and even a modification is in order. Either way you need proof that he is no longer living with the mother.

Ukiah

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All that you have read in no way is Legal Advice, it is a matter of opinion to help you in your quest

Thanks for the response Ukiah. Would we be wasting our time filing for a modification? Do the courts ever allow child support to be paid directly to the teenager? We live in California if this helps.

What kind of proof would be sufficient? He is not on the rental contract because he is under 18. Other than taking pictures of him entering and leaving I really can't think of anything to use as proof. His mother will not admit it.

Just a suggestion, but, I would mail some letters to the address where the kid is staying, thus generating a 'paper trail'. Also, I would get in contact with the 18 year old and see if she would support/testify that the 16 year old is indeed living there full time.

Just my opinion.

to IAAL, LegalBeagle, et. al. - Is this legal? Could it work?