Graduation season is in full swing. Young adults across the country are donning caps and gowns, processing through football fields and high school auditoriums to receive diplomas and awards. Proud parents are in the crowd, cheering them on, beaming with pride, and reaching for the Kleenex.
Congratulations, students! And you, too, moms and dads. A heartfelt shoutout for all you’ve done to help get your kid this far. For all the sporting events and spring concerts you attended, the endless school supplies you bought (what did they do with all those sticky notes?), the field trips you chaperoned, the lessons you drove them to, and that prom picture party you hosted for your senior’s 14 best pals and their parents…
It was all worth it. And to those of you who navigated everything as co-parents and stepfamilies — we see you.
This is a major milestone moment. Your baby’s grown up and headed, more or less, out into the world. Whether they’re off to college or taking a gap year, learning a trade, or starting a job, it’s the next big step toward adulthood. At 18 (the age of majority in California and most other states), they’re legal adults. They can vote and serve on a jury, enter into contracts, make their own legal, medical, and financial decisions, and buy, sell, or inherit property -– and yet, as their parents, it’s common to feel like they’re not quite ready to survive in the wild.They may still need your help in various ways.That’s one reason why child support questions and issues can crop up at this time – some even make the news.
According to People Magazine, actor Dennis Quaid has recently filed a petition in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County to end monthly child support payments to his ex-wife, real estate agent Kimberly Buffington. Their 18-year-old twins Zoe and Thomas are graduating from high school in May and June, respectively.
Court documents show that Quaid’s been paying $13,750 per month in child support. His filing cites the terms of their 2018 divorce, that he would stop making payments “when a child completes 12th grade (if still under 19 and a full-time high school student) or reaches the other enumerated endpoints, whichever occurs first.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, Quaid also requested a 2026 adjustment to the additional sum he pays to Buffington if he makes over $1,314,000 in a year. For this year, Quaid has asked that the bonus payment be ‘prorated to each child’s graduation date rather than using Dennis’ full-year 2026 income…. because these calculations yield child support, the obligation cannot lawfully extend beyond each child’s eligibility date,’ the filing says.
It’s interesting to read the comments section on a story like this. They tend to be split between people who perceive (perhaps based on their own difficult experiences) that Quaid is bailing on his kids, refusing to pay, shirking a duty – versus those who argue that he’s simply exercising the terms of their divorce agreement, and that payments stopping at high school graduation is standard and reasonable.
It’s worth noting that, so far, there seems to be no report on whether Quaid will contribute to college tuition or continue financial support for the kids in another way. We only know that he has requested, per the terms of their agreement, that child support payments end upon graduation.
How much support is owed and received, and by whom, is determined by several factors, including the parents’ respective incomes and the custody/visitation terms (how parenting time and caregiving responsibility are shared).Either parent can request a child support modification if there is a significant change in circumstances, such as:
- Altered custody/visitation arrangements; caregiving balance changes
- Employment (unavoidable job loss or good faith career change)
- Unforeseen loss of income
- A parent becomes ill or disabled
- Incarceration or military service
- A judge will evaluate the need for modification.
As far as how long child support continues, CA.gov explains, “The duty to pay support typically ends when a child turns 18 and graduates high school. If they’re still in high school full-time and cannot support themselves, the duty ends when they graduate or turn 19, whichever happens first.”
Support payment obligations also legally end when the child: gets married or enters a domestic partnership, joins the military, becomes emancipated, or dies. Parents’ support duty may continue beyond the age of majority if the child is disabled and cannot support themselves.
The current economic climate is tough and uncertain. Many young people, for various reasons, need some financial support beyond high school, and many parents continue to offer it as they can. There may not be much news in the Quaid child support “news,” but it’s always good to be reminded that you can get out ahead of the story.
When creating an MSA, divorcing parents can negotiate and agree on terms – including whether to extend child support beyond 18 or high school graduation (“adult child support”), for example, to cover college expenses, trade school, or to help kids with certain living costs as they leave the nest. The court must approve your terms and confirm that they meet legal standards. But typically, when you work together to come to an agreement that really works for your unique family and circumstances, everyone benefits.
The experienced and conscientious attorneys at SFLG are here to help you craft the optimal agreement for your family.
By Debra Schoenberg
