In Colorado, you generally pay child support until your child turns 19, which the state sets as the emancipation age for support purposes. That is the default for any order entered on or after July 1, 1997, and the statute says the obligation ends automatically once the last or only child reaches that age.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines Several situations shift that date later or earlier, and the answer changes noticeably when an order covers more than one child.
When Support Runs Past Age 19
Three circumstances extend the obligation beyond a child’s nineteenth birthday.
If a child is still enrolled in high school or an equivalent program at 19, support continues through the end of the month following graduation. A child who drops out and later re-enrolls can regain support, running again through the month after graduation. The hard cap is 21. Even without a diploma, support ends at that age.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines
A court can also order support to continue past 19 for a child with a mental or physical disability who cannot be self-sufficient. There is no age ceiling on this extension, and the order can include ongoing medical expenses and health insurance. The parent seeking the extended order typically has to demonstrate both the disability and the inability to be self-supporting.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines
Parents can also agree in writing to extend support beyond 19 for any reason. Once that agreement is folded into a court order, it becomes enforceable like any other support obligation.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines
When Support Ends Before Age 19
A child can be legally emancipated before 19, which cuts the obligation short.
Marriage or entering a civil union emancipates a child as of the date of the ceremony. If that marriage is later annulled or dissolved, support can be reinstated. Enlisting in a branch of the armed forces also triggers immediate emancipation.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines
In either case you still need to formally terminate the order through the court. Otherwise wage withholding continues.
Multiple Children: The Amount Doesn’t Drop on Its Own
This is where paying parents most often get caught. When an order covers more than one child and the oldest turns 19, the total monthly payment does not automatically decrease. The original amount stays in full effect until you file a motion and a court issues a new order recalculating support for the remaining minor children.2Colorado Judicial Branch. End Child Support
The reduction is not retroactive to the date the older child aged out. It takes effect from the date you file. Waiting costs money.
What About College?
For any support order entered on or after July 1, 1997, a Colorado court cannot require a parent to pay for college or other post-secondary education. Tuition, room and board, and books are outside what a judge can compel.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-115 – Child Support Guidelines
Parents can voluntarily agree to share college costs, and if that agreement is written into a court order such as a divorce decree or parenting plan, it becomes fully enforceable. A parent who then refuses to contribute faces the same enforcement tools as one who falls behind on regular support.
Orders entered before July 1, 1997, followed different rules. Under those older orders, courts sometimes required parents to contribute to post-secondary costs, capped by the guidelines in effect at the time. If you have a pre-1997 order, the education provisions in it may still apply.
How to Actually Stop the Payments
The statute says the obligation ends automatically. The payroll system does not. Wage garnishments and automatic withdrawals keep running until someone files paperwork and hands an order to your employer.
The Colorado Judicial Branch provides the forms: a Motion to Terminate Child Support (JDF 1408), an Order to Terminate Child Support (JDF 1409), and instructions (JDF 1426).2Colorado Judicial Branch. End Child Support Filing costs $105, and fee waivers are available for parents who cannot afford it.
Once the court signs the termination order, deliver a copy to your employer’s payroll department. Until they see the order, they will keep withholding. The same filing process applies when a child emancipates early through marriage or military service; only the reason cited in the motion changes.
Arrears Don’t Go Away When Support Ends
Terminating the order stops new charges. It does not erase what you already owe. Past-due child support in Colorado has no expiration date and remains collectible until paid in full.3Colorado Child Support Services. Enforcing Orders
Colorado Child Support Services can collect through income withholding, driver’s license suspension, recreational license suspension, tax refund interception, credit bureau reporting, and contempt actions in court.3Colorado Child Support Services. Enforcing Orders Those tools can be used long after your child turns 19 if a balance is still outstanding. So “how long do you pay” and “how long can you be pursued” are not the same question. The first ends at 19 in most cases. The second lasts until the debt is cleared.