Child Maintenance After 18: when it can be extended

Child maintenance after 18 asks whether a father still needs to pay maintenance once a child reaches adulthood. Generally, this duty ends at 18, but the court can extend it in certain situations^[1].

In real cases, a mother caring for a child still at university or college often applies for an extension by showing proof of full-time enrolment. The court also weighs the father’s financial ability when processing this application.

An extension also applies to a disabled child who remains dependent without an age limit, unlike an ordinary child whose maintenance need is treated as ending once they start work or marry.

An extension application usually needs to be filed separately before the child turns 18. Read more on child maintenance to understand this duty as a whole.