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When Child Support Ends in New York

In New York, parents are responsible for supporting a child until age 21, and a court can award post-secondary education expenses.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New York at a glance

Support ends at
21
High school extension
No separate rule: support runs to 21
Court can order college support
Yes
The court decides whether post-secondary education is appropriate.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New York

At what age does child support end in New York?

Support ends at in New York: 21.

Does child support continue in New York while a child is still in high school?

High school extension in New York: No separate rule: support runs to 21.

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

Yes. Court can order college support in New York: yes. The court decides whether post-secondary education is appropriate.

Where do the New York child support end age laws come from?

The rules above come from N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act 413. 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.