When child support ends in Massachusetts

When payments stop, when they can continue, and why past-due support is still owed.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

Usual end age
18
Law
G.L. c. 208, §28

When support stops in Massachusetts

18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

Law: G.L. c. 208, §28

The court may order support from 18 to 21 if the child lives in a parent's home and depends mainly on that parent, and from 21 to 23 if the child also is enrolled in an educational program (not beyond an undergraduate degree). The court can also order contribution to college costs (G.L. c.

Law: 208, §28; Guidelines II.F-G)

When does support end? Check your situation

Massachusetts's rule: 18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

Law: G.L. c. 208, §28

Your own order may set a different end date, for example when the parents agreed to one. Read it.

Moved to another state?

How long support lasts follows the law of the state that made the order, even if you move.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(h)(2)

A state must enforce another state's child support order. The state that made the order keeps the power to change it while a parent or the child still lives there.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(a), (d)

Past-due support doesn't end

Support that was due before it ended is still owed. Each unpaid payment became a judgment on the day it was due, and the agency can keep collecting it.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)

In nearby states

What to do now in Massachusetts

  1. Read your order

    Check what your order says about when support ends.

  2. Check the rule

    Massachusetts's rule: 18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

  3. Contact the agency

    Ask the agency how and when payments stop: Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), Child Support Services Division ((800) 332-2733) · Apply online

  4. Settle past-due support

    Past-due support is still owed after the end date.

  5. Ask for free help

    Legal aid can help for free: MassLegalHelp.

Where to get free help in Massachusetts

Questions about when support ends in Massachusetts

At what age does child support stop in Massachusetts?

18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

Is there support during the last year of high school in Massachusetts?

18 (a child 18 or older still in high school is treated as under 18 under the guidelines)

Are there exceptions to the end age in Massachusetts?

The court may order support from 18 to 21 if the child lives in a parent's home and depends mainly on that parent, and from 21 to 23 if the child also is enrolled in an educational program (not beyond an undergraduate degree). The court can also order contribution to college costs (G.L. c.

Related Massachusetts pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources