Thinking ahead for post secondary education support for your June graduate....

Thinking ahead for post secondary education support for your June graduate....

Just a reminder. If you have a child that is out of high school this June, and you are receiving child support for that student, your time is running out to ensure that there will be financial assistance for college, trade school, etc. next Fall.

The overwhelming majority of Washington State Child Support Orders “reserve” the right to ask a court for an order for post-secondary support. In these Orders, the right to petition the court for an order is usually limited to the date the child graduates from high school. If you do not seek the post-secondary support by that date, you likely loose the right to ask for it in the future. This can mean that the other parent can simply refuse to help pay, and there is nothing you can do about it!

It is also important to note that if you do not ask the court for the financial assistance early enough, the hearing on the issue might be after payment is required for Fall classes. Now is the time. If you aren’t sure if you need to ask for post-secondary support, take a look at your Order of Child Support. If you still aren’t sure, ask a family law attorney.

I can’t tell you how often a parent will come in after their child has graduated from high school, and tell me the story that the other parent has “promised” to help with college, but has now refused to pay. A simple promise to pay is not likely enough to ensure your child’s post-secondary education. It’s easy to secure a binding court order – just so long as you do it now!