More Changes To Arizona Child Support Guidelines
Here is another change:
Section 4 -- Duration of Child Support
This section has been added to provide for a presumptive termination date and constitutes the most significant change of the entire revision. The hope is that this change will alleviate some problems with overpayments at the termination of the order for child support when the payor is current. It also is anticipated that the change will assist the Division of Child Support Enforcement to better automate the termination of the child support order in the ATLAS system.
Presumptive Child Support Termination Date
New language instructs the court to establish a presumptive termination date when entering a new or modified support order and is defined as the last day of the the month of the 18th birthday of the youngest child or the order unless that child will not complete high school by 18 years of age. In that event, the date is defined as the last day of the month of the anticipated graduation date or 19, whichever occurs first. The presumptive termination date will be included in the order that establishes or modifies child support. Wage assignments will also contain the presumptive termination date and will direct the employer to discontinue withholding monies on that date, if the assignment is for current support only. In cases where both current support and arrearages are being withheld, the employer will be directed to continue withholding the entire amount past the presumptive termination date until the arrearages are paid in full.
For purposes of determining the presumptive termination date, it is presumed that a child not yet in school will enter first grade if the child reaches age six on or before September 1st of the year in which the child reaches age six; otherwise, it is presumed that the child will enter first grade the following year; and that a child will graduate in the month of May after completing 12th grade.
