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Typically, child support is going to last until a child is 18 years old. There are some exceptions to this, however; some people need to pay for longer, for example, if the child needs special assistance and there are more costs. Others don’t have to pay as long if the child is emancipated before he or she is 18. As such, it’s very important to know how these laws work in Arizona.
The law governing child emancipation is HB2428. Under it, a child must be at least 16 years old to ask the court for emancipation. Even when this request is submitted, it will not always be granted. The child has to meet a few criteria to show his or her independence. Some of these include the following:
1. The child isn’t already married.
2. The child is both a U.S. resident and a resident of Arizona.
3. The child needs to have sufficient financial means to provide for himself or herself. The child can’t be getting things like medical care, food or housing from the parents.
4. The child needs to understand that all legal obligations that the parents have to care for the child are ended forever if emancipation is granted.
5. Typically, the child needs to be more than three months away from his or her 18th birthday. This process usually takes around 12 weeks, so applying with less time remaining is unnecessary.
6. The child is ready to tell his or her parents, and the child has read the official document titled “Information on Emancipation in Arizona.”
Emancipation does not happen that frequently, but it could have a drastic impact on child support payments, so parents on both sides need to know how this works.
Source: AZ Courts, “Emancipation of a Minor,” accessed June 14, 2016
