Your child is 18 and studying: how to extend child support payments?

The procedure for collecting alimony

When a child turns 18, it does not always mean that he is fully provided for and can independently meet his needs. If she continues her studies and needs financial assistance, the legislation of Ukraine provides for the possibility of continuing alimony payments. According to Article 199 of the Family Code of Ukraine, parents are obliged to support their child until they reach the age of 23, provided that the child is studying full-time and needs help. In the article, we will consider how to extend the payment of alimony if your child is 18 years old, but he is studying full-time.

There are several key conditions for the continuation of alimony payments after the child turns 18:

1. Availability of training after school. 
   The child must be enrolled in an institution of secondary or higher education (college, university), i.e. continue studying after graduation.
2. 
   Full-time education. 
   Legislation requires that a child be educated on a full-time (stationary) basis. This is explained by the fact that part-time students can combine studies with work, and therefore are considered to be able to provide for themselves.
3. 
   Material need. 
   If the child does not have sufficient financial support, parents are obliged to support him financially during his studies.

If all these conditions are met, the parents have the right to file a claim for child support in court, or, if the child is of legal age, he can go to court on his own.

A change in the method of alimony collection may be necessary when the financial circumstances of either parent significantly shift.

Article 199 of the Family Code of Ukraine stipulates the duty of parents to support children up to the age of 23 if they are studying and need financial assistance.

In order to continue alimony, the child must study full-time at a higher or secondary educational institution.

A claim for extension of alimony can be filed either by the parents with whom the child lives, or by the adult child himself.

Services of lawyers of the "Consultant" service

Lawyers of the "Consultant" service provide comprehensive services that will help you extend alimony payments. In particular, the services include:

• Consultations on the preparation of documents. 
  Specialists will help you prepare a statement of claim for alimony recovery that meets the requirements of Ukrainian legislation and will provide the greatest chances for a positive court decision.
• 
  Legal support in court. 
  The lawyers of the "Consultant" service will represent your interests in court, and will also support you at all stages of the alimony collection procedure.
• 
  Preparation of statements and lawsuits. 
  Including a lawsuit for the collection of alimony, lawyers prepare all the necessary documents, including applications for changing the method of collection, a statement of claim or an application for the collection of child support.
• 
  Consultations on special cases. 
  For example, specialists provide advice on the collection of alimony from the unemployed and the conditions of collection for children who study full-time.
• 
  Consultations on changing the method of alimony collection. In some cases, when the circumstances change, it is possible to change the method and order of alimony collection.

Alimony collection from the unemployed can still be enforced, often based on a minimum wage calculation or alternative sources of income. "Consultant" lawyers will help you comply with all legal procedures for collecting alimony, taking into account your individual circumstances and specifics of the case.