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In California, consistent failure to pay child support can result in a felony charge. This is when the parent who should be paying support owes more than $2,500 in back payments. If the total sum is less than that, there is still time for other solutions to be implemented before it reaches this point.

California courts have ruled the parent-child relationship is the most fundamental right a child possesses. Parents are not entitled to stipulate away their duties and obligations to their child, and the courts have repeatedly found agreements to terminate parental rights are void and non-enforceable.

How long do I have to pay child support? Under California law, you pay child support until the child turns 18, or 19 if the child is unmarried and still attending high school full time. Under special circumstances, the court may order child support to continue after the child is an adult.

California laws clearly state that once child support payments have been determined as part of a divorce and custody, it takes an act of the court to change them. The person responsible for making the payments can't simply stop paying because they quit their job. When payments are missed, they don't simply go away.

To open a case in California, fill out the online application or visit your local child support agency ? search agency locations with our map tool. After an application is submitted, the applicant will be contacted by their local office to assist with the process of obtaining a child support order with the court.

Children have a constitutional right to care that parents cannot take away. You cannot waive child support in California because it is not in the best interest of the child. Children are dependent on their parents for care until they become adults, and this support requires money.