Vienna, Virginia · Child Support
If your child is getting close to 18, you are probably wondering when child support actually stops, and whether you can simply stop paying. The short answer: in Virginia, support usually ends at 18, but not always, and almost never on its own. If you have more than one child, stopping or cutting payments by yourself can backfire badly. Let me walk you through the real rules, gently and clearly, so you do not get caught out.
By Corrie Sirkin, Esq. · Founding Partner, NOVA Legal Professionals
This article is one part of our larger child support guide. For the full picture, start with our cornerstone, Child Support in Virginia. Here, I will focus on when child support ends, and the mistakes that cost good parents the most.
The normal rule, and the part most people miss
Child support in Virginia generally ends when the child turns 18. But the law adds an important exception that catches many parents off guard. Under Va. Code § 20-124.2, if your child is still a full-time high school student, is not self-supporting, and is living in the home of the parent who receives support, then support continues until the child turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever comes first. So a child who turns 18 in the middle of senior year usually keeps receiving support through graduation. The shorthand “support ends at 18” is incomplete, and acting on it too early is one of the more common and costly mistakes we see.
When it does end, it ends on the birthday
One small but useful detail. When support does end at 18, it ends on the actual birthday, not at the end of that month or the next pay period. If your child turns 18 on the fifteenth, the obligation runs through the day before. Knowing this keeps that final payment accurate and saves an argument later about a few weeks of support.
Children with serious disabilities
For families caring for a child with a severe, permanent disability, the worry usually runs the other direction, what happens when support is supposed to stop. Virginia lets a court order support to continue for an adult child who is severely and permanently disabled, unable to live independently and support themselves, and living in the home of the parent who receives support, when the disability began before the child aged out. If that is your family, please know you are not facing a cliff on the eighteenth birthday, and there is a path to keep support in place.
If You Have More Than One Child, Read This Twice
When your oldest child ages out, your support does not automatically drop, and you cannot simply pay less on your own. The order was set for a certain number of children, and the right amount for fewer children is lower, but only a modified order makes that official. Parents who quietly cut the payment themselves have ended up owing thousands in arrears. Get the order changed.
Why you usually need a court order to stop
Even when your child clearly meets the endpoint, the order keeps running until it is formally ended, especially if payments come out through wage withholding or through the Division of Child Support Enforcement. Those do not switch off by themselves. And if you have two or more children, you have to ask the court to recalculate for the remaining child rather than guessing at a new number. A friendly handshake deal with the other parent to lower the amount is not enough and will not protect you if things sour later. We have watched well-meaning parents get hit with large arrears simply for assuming the math would take care of itself.
College is not part of it, unless you agreed to it
This one surprises a lot of parents, in both directions. Virginia courts cannot order a parent to pay for college. Post-secondary costs are not part of guideline child support. The single exception is when both parents agreed to share college costs in a written agreement, which a court can then enforce like a contract. So if college is a hope or a worry, it belongs in a written agreement, not in an assumption about what support will cover.
Arrears do not disappear
Whichever side you are on, this matters. When support ends going forward, anything already unpaid does not vanish with it. Past-due support stays owed and stays collectible. So the question of ending support from here on is separate from the question of clearing a balance that built up before. One ending does not erase the other.
How we help in Vienna
If your child is approaching 18 or graduating, we can tell you the exact date your obligation should end, file to terminate it or to recalculate for your other children, and steer you clear of the arrears trap. You can read more on our when child support ends page. Vienna is part of Fairfax County, so these matters are handled in the Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations court, or through the state.
“Please do not just stop paying when your oldest turns 18. If you have other kids, that is how good parents end up owing thousands. Let us get the order changed the right way.”
Corrie Sirkin, Esq. · Founding Partner
Corrie’s Practical Advice
Mark two dates: your child’s 18th birthday and the expected high school graduation, because when those conditions line up is what controls the ending. If you have more than one child, file to recalculate rather than adjusting the payment on your own. And keep paying exactly what the current order says until a judge changes it, because that is what protects you from arrears you never needed to owe.
When in doubt, ask before you stop. A short call now can save you a long and expensive headache later.
Authoritative References
Sources
- Code of Virginia, § 20-124.2. When support ends: age 18, or age 19 or high school graduation for a qualifying student, plus continued support for a severely and permanently disabled adult child. law.lis.virginia.gov
- Code of Virginia, § 20-60.3. Required contents of support orders, including the notice that support may continue past 18 in the circumstances above.
- Code of Virginia, § 20-108. Modification, including recalculating the order when one child of several ages out.
- Senate Bill 805 (2025). Raised the combined monthly income cap to $42,500 and increased guideline amounts, effective July 1, 2025.
- Fairfax County and Virginia DCSE. Termination and recalculation are handled in the Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations court and through the Division of Child Support Enforcement.
Statutory authority verified against current Virginia law as of June 2026. Every child support case turns on its own facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age does child support end in Virginia?
Usually at 18. But if the child is still a full-time high school student, not self-supporting, and living with the parent who receives support, it continues until the child turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever comes first.
Can I stop paying when my oldest child turns 18?
Not on your own if you have other children. The amount does not automatically drop, and you must ask the court to recalculate for the remaining children. Stopping or reducing on your own can leave you owing arrears.
Does Virginia make parents pay for college?
No. Courts cannot order college support. The only exception is when both parents agreed to share college costs in a written agreement, which can then be enforced.
What happens to support I already owe?
Past-due support, or arrears, does not disappear when current support ends. It remains owed and collectible.
When You Are Ready
Let’s get the end date right for your Vienna order.
Tell me your child’s age, school status, and how many children your order covers, and I will tell you exactly when support should end and what to file so you are protected. The first call is a conversation, not a commitment.