What happens if a parent receiving child support dies?

If a parent receiving child support dies, the court order will come to an end and the child support obligation will also end. In Michigan, the court order may also be dissolved due to the death of the parent receiving support. However, if the parent paying child support dies, then the court order will still remain in effect, and the survivor of the parent who died will take over the responsibility of paying the child support. If a parent receiving child support dies, the surviving parent may apply for Social Security benefits for the dependent child. This is known as “Concurrent Benefits” and allows the child to receive both the parent’s Social Security survivor benefits as well as the child support payments. The court may order that the child support payments continue even after a parent dies. This may be done by the court if it believes that the child continues to be in need of the financial assistance. The court may also take into account the financial situation of the surviving parent and the surviving dependent child in making its decision. In Michigan, a surviving parent may also be eligible to receive court-ordered “death benefits” from the estate of the deceased parent if the court finds that the child was dependent on the parent for financial support. Death benefits are payments from the parent’s estate to the surviving parent to cover the cost of caring for the dependent child. Finally, the court may also decide that the surviving parent is entitled to a share of the deceased parent’s pension, insurance policies, or other benefits in order to continue providing financial support for the dependent child.

Related FAQs

What are ways for reducing child support payments?
What is the difference between an administrative and court order of child support?
What is a lump sum payment of child support?
What are the consequences of not paying child support?
Are there ways to reduce the amount of child support I owe?
What happens if the amount of child support payable is more than the paying parent can afford?
Is a lump sum payment acceptable in lieu of regular child support payments?
Can child support payments be reduced or suspended?
What factors must be considered when calculating child support payments?
How can I calculate my child support payments?

What happens if a parent receiving child support dies?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts