I live in Missouri. I am paying child support to my ex-wife for one child. The child is 17 yrs and 2 months. My divorce/child plan states that I must pay child support until the child turns 18 or completes his education. However, my child has dropped out of school completely, has been through two different drug rehabilitation programs, and is in no rush to complete his GED. The child has only completed the 8th grade. The law in Missouri states that at the completion of his GED (which the child has stated they will), that I can stop child support payments if the child is not enrolled in some sort of higher education by Oct 1st of same year. I suspect they are both stalling on the child obtaining his GED, so they can get support payments for 10 more months. Is there any way I can legally force the child to resume his/her educational pursuits? Is there any way I can legally force her to force him/her to do so? He has little or no contact with me whatsoever. The visitation plan that was set up originally is not followed at all.

Go back to Court and ask for a change in the terms. Present PROOF that the child is not attending school. Ask that support end at age 18.

Some may depend on the time frame during which the child is NOT attending school. In NY if you skip one semester you are NOT attending school.

I wouldn't force the school issue. I would change the terms of the Order (if possible).

Currently if it is (18 or when they finish high school) it will already stop at 18.

If you want it to stop now, you would have to go back to court and prove the other parent is not trying to make the child go to school, not being a proper parent because of issues with child or not trying to help the child with their eduction.

Since there was so many issues with child, why did you not much early try and get custody of the child?

But you could try for custody of the child, then you try to get their education done.