Skip to content
Oakclause

When Child Support Ends in Alabama

In Alabama, child support generally runs until the age of majority, which is 19, and since Ex parte Christopher (2013) a court cannot order a parent to pay college support for a child over 19.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Alabama at a glance

Support ends at
19
Alabama's age of majority is 19, so support under a divorce decree generally runs to that age.
Court can order college support
No
Ex parte Christopher (Ala. 2013) held that Ala. Code 30-3-1 does not let a court order educational support for a child over 19. Final orders entered before that decision were not affected.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Alabama

At what age does child support end in Alabama?

Support ends at in Alabama: 19. Alabama's age of majority is 19, so support under a divorce decree generally runs to that age.

Can a court in Alabama order a parent to pay support for college?

No. Court can order college support in Alabama: no. Ex parte Christopher (Ala. 2013) held that Ala. Code 30-3-1 does not let a court order educational support for a child over 19. Final orders entered before that decision were not affected.

Where do the Alabama child support end age laws come from?

The rules above come from Ala. Code 26-1-1, Ala. Code 30-3-1 and Ex parte Christopher, 145 So.3d 60 (Ala. 2013). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Support does not always stop on its own. Depending on the state and the order, the paying parent may need to ask the court or the child support agency to end or adjust the order, and past-due support remains owed after the end date.

When there is more than one child on an order, the amount may not drop automatically when the oldest child reaches the end age. Reviewing how the order is written, and whether it lists a separate amount per child, helps show what happens next.

Parents can often agree in a divorce or separation agreement to pay for things the law does not require, such as college costs. A written agreement approved by the court can be enforced like an order, so its wording matters and a local family law attorney can review it.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.