Legal Question in Family Law in Indiana

proof of child support payments

1) I have been divorced for 15 years and have paid my timely child support directly to my exwife instead of through the courts. I paid her directly so my children did not experience a delay with the payments going through the court system. I--name removed--t have 15 years of childsupport payment receipts, and heard from the county clerks office that the court may consider these payments as a gift to my exwife instead of payments toward childsupport (eventhough all payments were identified as such). Is there a ''legal document'' that exwife can sign that is accepted and proof to a Court Judge that Im current with my child support. My exwife has already verbally told the county court clerk office that I am not behind in my payments, but soon i am going to emansipate my oldest child and want to prove that I am current with all support payments. The childsupport was ordered in the State of Indiana, Hancock County.

2) I also--name removed--t understand why I must emansipate my 19 year old child when the initial devorce decree stated that my obligations stopped when my child's turned the age of 19 (unless she is a full-time student, which my child is not).

Please address both questions, and thanks for your assistance.


Asked on 1/13/05, 6:02 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Mary Ann Wunder Wunder & Wunder

Re: proof of child support payments

The problem with paying directly when your decree directs that payments be made through the Clerk's office presents a difficulty only when the custodial parent (and or the state) objects to the manner of payment. The custodial parent must petition the court to enforce support in order for there to be an arrearage. When the first, middle or last child is emancipated by agreement, part of the agreement can state that there are no support arrears. As to why you need a petition to emancipate a child, regardless of the language of your decree, Indiana law says that a parent must support a child until the child's 21st birthday unless the child is emancipated prior to that time. Even though a child turns into an adult upon his 18th birthday, Indiana law requires child support payments to extend for another 3 years. Automatic emancipation events are: entry into the military service and marriage of the child. Any other event requires the court to determine if the situation is such that support should terminate. The parents, however, are free to agree to emancipating events prior to age 21 by submitting to the court an agreement stating the child is emancipated as of a certain date and that the support due through that date has been paid current. If there is a younger child still at home (or even an older one) and the support order was so much for all the children, then you would want to modify support to reduce the amount due for just the remaining child.

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Answered on 1/17/05, 11:28 am


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