Child Support for Adult Children

Margaret Ryznar, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Abstract

Although family law requires parents to support their minor children, the question of post-majority support—or child support for adult children—is entirely different. Some states permit this type of child support, while others do not. Those affected by this divergence in approaches include college students, unemployed people, disabled people, and of course, their parents—at a time of financial difficulty for many. The approach of each jurisdiction to this issue rests on whether the family is viewed as a social support system and whether intergenerational obligations exist. To help analyze these questions, this Article uses a comparative approach, considering the relevant law and public policy of both Europe and the United States.