September 2014 | 185 P.3d 289, 39 Kan.App.2d 724 (Kan.App. 2008)
In re Marriage of Vandervoort (Kansas 2008)
Child support is a right belonging to the child and cannot be reduced or terminated by agreement between parents. Even when courts make deviations from the recommended amounts in the Kansas Child Support Guidelines, courts must show that such deviations serve the best interests of the children. A child reaching 18 years of age is one of the three events in Kansas which automatically terminates child support. The other two are death of the child or the death of the payor parent. If a district court does not consider the fact that a child attained the age of majority in its calculation of child support arrearage, the support order is in error. The Child Support Guidelines are the basis for establishing and reviewing child support orders in Kansas, including cases settled by agreement of the parties. Judges and hearing officers must follow the Guidelines. Under the facts of this case where the district court interpreted a separation agreement in such a way that one of the parents is now required to pay child support, we hold the court must use the Guidelines to compute the obligation.
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