Financial Advice: Claiming Children For College Tax Credits

Question: I am looking for financial advice on divorce in regards to college expenses and tax credits. I no longer pay child support but I would like to contribute to my daughter’s college education. It is my understanding that I cannot claim tuition that I pay because she is not …

Will I Be Ordered To Pay For College?

By Andrea Johnson Attorney, Cordell & Cordell Because the courts typically consider children to no longer be minors beyond the age of 18, the courts cannot order a parent to pay college expenses. This is because the courts cannot in their discretion order support for an adult. Parties can, by …

How do you terminate your child support payments?

Question: How do I begin the process of terminating child support? My child has graduated high school and is now attending community college. Do I have to hire an attorney to stop child support payments or can I go through the child support enforcement agency?

Ex-Wife Claims Original Divorce Decree Was Amended To Include College

Question: Our original divorce decree from 20 years ago states that my ex-wife and I are to each pay 50% of my child’s college tuition. She claims that shortly after we divorced we signed an amendment to the divorce judgment changing the payment percentages to me having to pay 75%, …

Are student loans considered marital debt?

Question: I have been going through a divorce from my wife for almost two years. Before we separated and continuing during our divorce, she has worked and has been going to college. Can the judge rule that I have to pay for part of her student loans?

Who gets to claim the children for tax benefits?

Question: In our divorce decree, it is stipulated that whichever party is able to maximize the tax benefit for our dependent son would be able to claim him for tax purposes. But that is only applicable in the years that I pay at least 51% of his college tuition. This …

Deling with property that is not listed in the divorce judgment

Question: My ex-wife has removed several thousand dollars from our child’s state college fund. My ex was the only person listed on the fund, which was created prior to their divorce. Both of us forgot to include this fund in our Property Statement when we divorced. Do I have any …

How can I prove emancipation before the child reaches the age of majority?

Question: I am paying child support for my 19-year-old daughter in a state where the age of emancipation is 21. I believe my daughter is independent enough that I should not be required to continue to pay child support for her. She has been living with her boyfriend for the …

Can my ex get my wages garnished to help pay for my child’s car?

Question: My ex is threatening to garnish my wages because I refuse to pay for a car for my 18-year-old child. It does not say in the divorce decree that I have to do this. I already pay for half their college tuition and expenses. Can she force me to …

Paying child support while the child is in college

Question: According to my husband’s divorce decree, he is to pay child support as long as his daughter is in college. His daughter is now in college, and it has come to our attention that the child support is not going to support the expenses of the child. Does he …