In some cases, a parent in New Jersey might want to stop receiving child support payments from the other parent for one of several reasons. For example, the parents might get back together.
Other reasons might have to do with the financial status of either parent. The parent paying support might run into financial difficulties, or the parent receiving support might come into a large amount of money through an inheritance or by some other means.
If the parents get back together, they might be able to return to family court to explain the situation and have the child support order cancelled. In the other cases, it would be necessary to file for a modification of support. The court might still argue against a reduction in child support even if the parent receiving support requests it. The court may take the position that more support is in the child’s best interest. Therefore, parents should be prepared to argue their case.
The process for stopping support would be to go to the courthouse and get the correct paperwork from the county clerk. A parent who is receiving government assistance generally cannot stop receiving support. The parent who no longer has to pay support should keep careful records of the process in case there is confusion later about what they owe.
It is important that parents go through the formal legal process because otherwise the other parent may appear to be in arrears for support. However, in many cases, parents might not agree on the need for support. One parent might fail to pay altogether. There are steps the other parent can take through local or federal child support enforcement agencies to get the other parent to pay support. This is one reason a formal support agreement may be particularly important.
