Congratulations! You have a graduating senior. In the midst of all the changes, parents should review their child support order. Here are some considerations:
Some graduates may already be 18, the age of majority in Wyoming. In Wyoming, child support may continue past the child’s 18th birthday as long as the child is enrolled as a full-time high school student. If the case is currently open with the child support program, the parent who receives support will receive a letter approximately one month prior to the to the child’s 18th birthday. Read it carefully and follow any instructions for reporting updated information. If you didn’t receive a letter, call the local office and make sure your address information is correct.
If there are remaining minor children in the family, orders do not automatically reduce when an older child graduates. You must ask the local office to review the order. The office will ask both parents to provide current income information. The local office will calculate support based on the parents’ incomes and the number of remaining children. If the support amount meets the criteria for a change, the office will start the legal action. Please be aware that support may reduce, may increase, or may not change at all.
Some Wyoming child support orders are “flat” orders. They are based on the parents’ incomes and the number of children in a family but are not divisible by the number of children. Parents often think that once a child graduates, the order reduces proportionately to the number of children. For example, in a family with two children, the order will reduce by half upon the oldest child’s graduation. This isn’t the case. The review will take place as described above and support will be based on the parents’ current incomes and the number of remaining children.
Wyoming law controls when the modified amount of support goes into effect. If you are considering requesting a modification review, contact the local office as soon as possible to maximize the effective date.
Even though current support may end, back support is still owed and must be paid in full. If you are a parent who pays support and you think you have an arrears balance, contact the local child support office to set up a feasible payment plan.
If your support order is from another state, the local child support office may still be able to assist you with this process.
The Wyoming Child Support Program looks forward to working with families as children graduate. The Wyoming Child Support Program is a program of the Department of Family Services which exists solely to promote the safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency of families through community partnerships. The program is designed to use contract and county field offices, along with state personnel to provide a variety of services concerning the financial well-being and support of Wyoming’s children.
For more information visit https://childsupport.wyo.gov/ today.
