can child support payments be made direct to the child?

[Chris]

Are you required to provide support after the age of 18? Your son is considered to be an adult legally at that age. Check your divorce decree/support agreement. You may not be responsible for any support at all, may be responsible until another date (say, high school graduation even if beyond the 18th birthday, or a 19th or 21st birthday), or may have agreed to pay toward college expenses instead or in addition to support. Unless there is an agreement in place specifically stating so, you don't have a legal obligation to support your adult child. Now morally is another question. You may want to support your son through college but, if that is elective, you get to decide how much, how often, and by what means. You may pay for room and board at college, send him money, or set conditions under which you will continue your support (perhaps requiring minimum grades or progress toward a degree). Check your written agreement and/or consult your attorney. It may be worth the cost of the consultation.