Full question:
If my stepdaughter turns 19 in May 2017 and her mother is required to cover her for "as long as her daughter is eligible", are we required to keep covering her and paying 1/2 out of pocket expenses until a certain age, or until the age of majority? My 2nd question is..what is the official age of majority in Colorado, and does this age come into play with regards to the first question?
- Category: Minors
- Date:
- State: Colorado
Answer:
In Colorado, the age of majority is twenty-one years. Parents are not legally obligated to support their children beyond this age, unless the child is physically or mentally incapable of self-support. Child support typically ends when a child is emancipated, which occurs upon reaching the age of majority (21 years). Since your stepdaughter turns 19 in May 2017, she is still entitled to child support until she turns 21.
According to In re Marriage of Plummer, 735 P.2d 165 (Colo. 1987), emancipation generally happens when a child reaches the age of majority, defined in Colorado as twenty-one years (C.R.S. § 2-4-401(6)).
For more details, refer to:
§ 2-4-401, C.R.S. - Definitions (6) “Minor” means any person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years.
§ 14–10–122(3), C.R.S. - Provisions for support are terminated by emancipation, not by a parent's death.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.