Question: My child is 18, still in high school and living at home. Can I still get child support in Florida?
Yes. The Florida Statutes require that child support continue past the age of 18, but not past 19 so long as the child is in high school and will graduate before 19.
This situation typically arises when a child turns 18 while a senior in high school. In that situation, the child support continues until they graduate from high school. However, in order for the child support to continue, they must be in school and on track to graduate before they turn 19.
Although the statute is pretty clear that the child must graduate before age 19, there have been cases in Florida where the court has required child support to continue after age 19 because the child’s 19th birthday were close together. Unfortunately, the courts have not decided how close the birthday needs to be to the date of graduation in order for the child support to continue.
