There are a lot of news releases about child support and who should get it, in Maryland but this one may take you by surprise. According to a release from March 5, a teen in New Jersey has actually asked a judge to give her child support even though she chose to leave her home. She applied for $624 per week in child support payments and for access to her college fund, according to the news.
The teen allegedly left her home in New Jersey following a dispute with her parents over her boyfriend and allegedly abusive behavior. The girl is currently still in high school as a cheerleader and has been on the honor roll. A judge saw no reason to grant her access to funds that are meant to go to her guardians who support her.
A number of people have wondered if the child is simply spoiled, and the judge was concerned that if he ruled in her favor, then he may be setting a dangerous precedent. It certainly would be unusual for a child to get child support directly from a parent. That would be particularly odd in a case where a child leaves home of her own free will.
He claims that if he were to grant the girl’s lawsuit in her favor, it would open a precedent for lawsuits every time a teen or child didn’t like a rule a parent made. Now, there will allegedly be an additional follow-up hearing to see if the parents should even have to cover the girl’s college costs. Additionally, the judge has decided to rule against her in this case, denying her emergency suit asking for the $624 per week in child support and access to any college fund she has. The judge cited the fact that he wants to work on getting the family back together, not separating it further.
Source: The Week, “Judge denies NJ teen’s request for child support from estranged parents” Celeste Mora, Mar. 05, 2014
