Lincoln Park Teen Sues Parents

Laws can be used well, and they can be abused. In my case, I was able to scare my ex-wife to chip in for college, which was a benefit for our kids.

I think it's messed up that children of divorce have an explicitly stated right whereas children of intact marriages don't. It doesn't make sense. But then again, it kinda does.

I found this interesting:

http://www.reddit.com/r/raisedbynarcissists/comments/2manok/parents_ordered_to_pay_estranged_daughters/

(I find that whole subreddit fascinating, though.)

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Judge Sides With Student. Orders Parents to Pay

http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2014/12/judge_orders_parents_of_washington_township_graduate_to_pay_county_college_tuition_report_says.html#incart_m-rpt-1

I just hope the parents are aware that New Jersey has filial responsibility/support laws on the books so in a few years if her parents end up needing assisted living, nursing home, or other financial support they can turn around and sue her right back.

"I think it's messed up that children of divorce have an explicitly stated right whereas children of intact marriages don't. It doesn't make sense. But then again, it kinda does."

The key factor here Tom, is that a divorce initiates the dissolution of marital assets and an audit of those same (which I'm sure you know first-hand). If certain assets are identified as "college fund" or something similar, it can be stipulated that the children who would theoretically benefit from those assets should not lose them. That's just one factor, but just as dissolving spouses can seek recompense for earnings reaped during the marriage, children can seek to claim funds that would have been devoted to their upbringing and education had the marriage not ended. Precedents exist, even for offspring beyond the age of legal maturity.

This is what separates this case from the Canning case, IMO. The former had no dissolution of the marriage and involved opposing positions of parents v. child on home rules and entitlement.

That's a good explanation.

But there is no guarantee that they would have covered the costs of her education had they stayed married.

spontaneous said:

But there is no guarantee that they would have covered the costs of her education had they stayed married.

The state of NJ has a list of something like 13 criteria to determine if a given set of parents would have sent a kid to college if they had stayed together.

Kids, sometimes your parents are just right.
"N.J. teen who sued parents back in court in domestic violence case with boyfriend"http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2014/07/teen_who_sued_parents_back_in_court_in_domestic_violence_case_with_boyfriend.html