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In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"

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  • 03-22-2020, 05:49 PM
    just.a.programmer
    In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Virginia

    My son is 18 and in 12th grade. I pay to my ex monthly child support. School has been suspended for over a week now through April 10 and conceivably in a few weeks the school district could declare the 2019-20 school year over. Virginia law states that child support is owed until 1) the child turns 18 and has graduated from high school, 2) the child is 18 and finishes high school, or 3) the child turns 19. The scheduled graduation date is June 10. Supposed that the school district declared the school year finished on a date before June 10, would I owe child support to my ex for the time between the newly declared last day and the originally scheduled graduation date of June 10? Thanks in advance!!
  • 03-22-2020, 06:13 PM
    flyingron
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    It's when the school issues him a diploma I would suspect. Stuff happens.
  • 03-22-2020, 07:00 PM
    OKisNotOK
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    This is really petty! Would you be willing to pay support after June 10th if the school year is extended due to the need to meet a days of attendance requirement?

    It is not like your child is going to be able to be self supporting immediately. Think of it as buying his food. These are extraordinary times. There is what is legally required and what is morally right.
  • 03-22-2020, 08:55 PM
    just.a.programmer
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Actually that never occurred to me. But I wonder if it’s when the diploma is earned, as opposed to when it’s awarded. Were the government to declare the year complete and give out grades based on the work done thus far I’d conclude my son is graduated. (I’d most definitely get the opinion of the school district.). Thanks!
  • 03-22-2020, 09:00 PM
    llworking
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting just.a.programmer
    View Post
    My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Virginia

    My son is 18 and in 12th grade. I pay to my ex monthly child support. School has been suspended for over a week now through April 10 and conceivably in a few weeks the school district could declare the 2019-20 school year over. Virginia law states that child support is owed until 1) the child turns 18 and has graduated from high school, 2) the child is 18 and finishes high school, or 3) the child turns 19. The scheduled graduation date is June 10. Supposed that the school district declared the school year finished on a date before June 10, would I owe child support to my ex for the time between the newly declared last day and the originally scheduled graduation date of June 10? Thanks in advance!!

    Really?? Seriously??

    Your child support ends when your child graduates or reaches age 19.
  • 03-22-2020, 09:03 PM
    just.a.programmer
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    If the school district were to decide that the remainder of the school year needs to be finished in summer school then I’d pay child support through the end of summer school.

    My son won’t be able to support himself immediately after he graduates, and he has a place in my home if he so chooses for as long as he needs it. But I won’t give him money for living expenses if he chooses to live with my ex. That money would essentially be used to subsidize my ex’s standard of living. I hope this helps...
  • 03-23-2020, 04:53 AM
    flyingron
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    The ceremony is unimportant. What is important is when the diploma is "issued." Contact the district for that date. Usually, it's a few days from the completion of classes that meet the graduation requirements.
  • 03-23-2020, 12:55 PM
    OKisNotOK
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting just.a.programmer
    View Post
    If the school district were to decide that the remainder of the school year needs to be finished in summer school then I’d pay child support through the end of summer school.

    My son won’t be able to support himself immediately after he graduates, and he has a place in my home if he so chooses for as long as he needs it. But I won’t give him money for living expenses if he chooses to live with my ex. That money would essentially be used to subsidize my ex’s standard of living. I hope this helps...

    Love your child more than you hate your ex! Feeding a teenage boy is expensive! I suspect if he moved in with you, you would be losing money verses the support given to your son.

    You are looking at a relatively short time so why worry about it. It would cost more to go to court to clarify the order than to just pay the support. It would also go a long way to NOT alienating your child to be cooperative at this time. Everyone is stressed right now. If it is your own financial situation that makes paying support a problem, have a frank discussion with both your child and your ex.
  • 03-23-2020, 04:37 PM
    flyingron
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    There's not going to be any June 10 date either. The Governor ordered the school year abandoned. You're going to have to consult your district (the state DOE has deferred to the local schools) as to what they are going to do about the remaining class requirements, requirements for graduation/advancement.
  • 03-24-2020, 09:15 AM
    pg1067
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Fun fact: High school graduates typically don't receive their diplomas at the graduation ceremony. Many students don't get the diplomas -- and don't actually graduate -- until completion of summer school. Thus, while the date of the ceremony might be the "official" graduation date, it isn't because the ceremony is held on that date, and your question is moot.
  • 03-24-2020, 09:33 AM
    flyingron
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting pg1067
    View Post
    Fun fact: High school graduates typically don't receive their diplomas at the graduation ceremony. Many students don't get the diplomas -- and don't actually graduate -- until completion of summer school. Thus, while the date of the ceremony might be the "official" graduation date, it isn't because the ceremony is held on that date, and your question is moot.

    Actually, every student who attended my graduation got their actual diploma at the ceremony. For a graduating class of 901 it was a pretty substantial effort to do. However, the diplomas had been "issued" about a week earlier. There was no obligation that you attend the ceremony to "graduate." But I agree, the ceremony (as I pointed out in prior posts) is meaningless.
  • 03-24-2020, 09:37 AM
    PayrolGuy
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting flyingron
    View Post
    Actually, every student who attended my graduation got their actual diploma at the ceremony. For a graduating class of 901 it was a pretty substantial effort to do. However, the diplomas had been "issued" about a week earlier. There was no obligation that you attend the ceremony to "graduate." But I agree, the ceremony (as I pointed out in prior posts) is meaningless.


    I can understand. They didn't want to have the mail the stone tablets to you.

    When I graduated HS I was handed the leather case and in it was a note that Cap & Gowns should be returned Monday between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm.
  • 03-25-2020, 06:21 PM
    just.a.programmer
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting flyingron
    View Post
    The ceremony is unimportant. What is important is when the diploma is "issued." Contact the district for that date. Usually, it's a few days from the completion of classes that meet the graduation requirements.

    It's one thing if there's no interruption in the school year and one learns that diplomas are issued a few days early. It seems to me there'd be no basis for curtailing child support early. But if the district were to cancel distance learning (which is starting soon) and the diploma were also issued, then it would be a whole different matter.

    Quote:

    Quoting llworking
    View Post
    Really?? Seriously??

    Your child support ends when your child graduates or reaches age 19.

    When is graduation in the age of coronavirus? The day that the cancelled ceremony would have been held?

    To me, an intriguing issue is knowing whether these coronavirus circumstances would actually change the day in which my legal obligation for child support is ended.
  • 03-26-2020, 04:39 AM
    flyingron
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting just.a.programmer
    View Post
    It's one thing if there's no interruption in the school year and one learns that diplomas are issued a few days early. It seems to me there'd be no basis for curtailing child support early. But if the district were to cancel distance learning (which is starting soon) and the diploma were also issued, then it would be a whole different matter.

    Actually, people are running off on tangents that are immaterial again.

    This is Virginia. The child support order, except in extremely rare cases, is SET by statute. The law doesn't say you owe it until GRADUATION. It says until the child is 19 or "while the child is a full-time high school student."
    Again, this boils down to what the district intends to do with the seniors. If they are going to claim that the diploma requirements have been met by what has transpired up until the schools closed (which I suspect is likely in most districts), then the support obligation would appear to end at the day classes stopped. If there is some "full time distance learning" involved, then one might argue the obligation continues until that completes.

    Again, absent knowing what the individual district intends to do, we can't give an answer.
  • 03-26-2020, 07:28 PM
    just.a.programmer
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting flyingron
    View Post
    Actually, people are running off on tangents that are immaterial again.

    This is Virginia. The child support order, except in extremely rare cases, is SET by statute. The law doesn't say you owe it until GRADUATION. It says until the child is 19 or "while the child is a full-time high school student."
    Again, this boils down to what the district intends to do with the seniors. If they are going to claim that the diploma requirements have been met by what has transpired up until the schools closed (which I suspect is likely in most districts), then the support obligation would appear to end at the day classes stopped. If there is some "full time distance learning" involved, then one might argue the obligation continues until that completes.

    Again, absent knowing what the individual district intends to do, we can't give an answer.

    I'm probably guilty of the immaterial tangent thing...

    My divorce decree specifically states "...child support shall be payable until such time as the Child reaches the age of eighteen (18), does, become married or is otherwise emancipated, unless sooner modified by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, that in the event a Child has attained the age of eighteen (18) and is still a full time high school student residing with the [ex-spouse] then in that event child support shall continue until the child graduates from high school or reaches the age of nineteen (19), whichever event first occurs."

    Also, curiously my spouse is a teacher in an adjacent district and she learned that her district will not issue any fourth quarter grades this year. If you're not working toward a grade that pertains to graduation are you still a full time student? The plot thickens...
  • 03-27-2020, 11:49 AM
    llworking
    Re: In the Age of Coronavirus when is "High School Graduation"
    Quote:

    Quoting just.a.programmer
    View Post
    I'm probably guilty of the immaterial tangent thing...

    My divorce decree specifically states "...child support shall be payable until such time as the Child reaches the age of eighteen (18), does, become married or is otherwise emancipated, unless sooner modified by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, that in the event a Child has attained the age of eighteen (18) and is still a full time high school student residing with the [ex-spouse] then in that event child support shall continue until the child graduates from high school or reaches the age of nineteen (19), whichever event first occurs."

    Also, curiously my spouse is a teacher in an adjacent district and she learned that her district will not issue any fourth quarter grades this year. If you're not working toward a grade that pertains to graduation are you still a full time student? The plot thickens...

    Again, you don't know when or if the school district is going to be graduating your child. It may be that the school district will require online classes or summer school in order for the seniors to be able to graduate. You need to NOT jump the gun.
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