How long child support lasts in New York (2026)

Does child support end at 18 or 21 in New York?

At 21. Family Court Act § 413(1)(a) says the parents of a child under the age of 21 are chargeable with the child’s support, and Domestic Relations Law § 240(1-b) defines child support the same way for divorce cases. New York’s court information pages add that support includes health insurance coverage until 21.

That is later than in the other two states covered here. Texas generally orders support until 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later (Texas Family Code § 154.001), and Virginia until 18, or up to 19 for a full-time high school student living at home (Code of Virginia § 20-124.2 C). See the Texas and Virginia guides.

When is a child emancipated before 21 in New York?

Support ends earlier if the child is emancipated. New York’s courts describe emancipation as the child no longer living with the parents and being self supporting, and list a child under 21 as generally emancipated when the child:

• is married;
• is in the military;
• has finished four years of college;
• is 18 or older and working full time (summer or vacation jobs do not count);
• has permanently left home and ended the relationship with both parents for no good reason (not when the child left because of abuse by a parent or a similar reason).

A child who is financially dependent on a parent is not emancipated, and a child who was emancipated can become dependent again before turning 21. Whether a particular child is emancipated is decided by the court on the facts.

Does child support stop automatically at 21?

The order itself does not end on its own. New York’s Child Support Program explains that if an order is still charging current support, a petition has to be filed with the court to end it, and any past-due support stays owed.

When an order covers several children and one of them turns 21 or is emancipated, the guideline has no automatic step down. Either parent can ask the court to modify the order. As an illustration of what a recalculation looks like, the guideline for two children with $6,000 and $4,000 a month is $1,385.25, and for one child it is $941.97. See the guide to modifying an order.

Does New York child support cover college?

Not as part of the formula. Under Family Court Act § 413(1)(c)(7), the court may award the cost of post-secondary education, and of private, special or enriched education, when it finds that appropriate, considering the circumstances of the case, the parents and the child’s best interests. Whether to order it, and how much, is up to the court.

Finishing four years of college is one of the situations New York’s courts list as emancipation.

Can child support continue after 21 for a disabled adult child?

Yes, in some cases. Domestic Relations Law § 240-d and Family Court Act § 413-b, added by Chapter 437 of the Laws of 2021, let a court order a parent to support an adult dependent with a developmental disability until the age of 26. The adult must live with, and be principally dependent on, the person asking for support, and the disability must be supported by a diagnosis from a qualified professional. Support is set under the same guidelines as child support. Petitions use Family Court forms 4-3c and 4-7d.

What this guide does not cover

This guide does not cover how courts decide disputed emancipation cases, arrears that remain after support ends, or support for adult children without a developmental disability. The figures are estimates of the guideline amount. A court can order a different amount, and an existing order only changes when it is modified.