Section 218-RICR-30-00-1.8 - EmancipationA. Pursuant to Rhode Island law, a child is emancipated upon his or her eighteenth (18th) birthday. The court may, if in its discretion it deems it necessary or advisable, order child support and education costs for children attending high school at the time of their eighteenth (18th) birthday and for ninety (90) days after graduation, but in no case beyond their nineteenth (19th) birthday. If the child has a mental or physical disability, which occurred before emancipation, the order may continue. However, a non-custodial parent is obligated to continue paying current child support until s/he has obtained an order terminating that obligation. Therefore, the OCSS will continue to enforce an order until such time as the order has been terminated and arrears have been suspended. The non-custodial parent may request assistance from OCSS to suspend an order based upon emancipation.B. Internally the eligibility system will stop the order at the youngest child's eighteenth (18th) birthday. This does not affect the legality of the order.218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-30-00-1.8
Amended effective 3/29/2019
Amended effective 1/1/2021