Legal Question in Family Law in California

Yes, but interest continues to accrue at 10%/year until everything is paid in full.

That's a trick question that is poorly worded so you can get an answer that you want to hear. Here's the answer you don't want to hear, but is the right answer.

You owed child support until it was terminated. Usually, court-ordered child support ends when the child turns 18 years old if he or she graduates from high school. If your 18-year-old child is still a full-time high school student and still lives with a parent, child support ends when your child graduates or turns 19, whichever occurs first.

Child support also ends when a child marries or registers a domestic partnership, joins the military, is emancipated or dies.

Unpaid child support during the time period it was to be paid before any of those terminating events occurred means they became arrearages. Child support arrears that remain unpaid do not go away when the child turns 18. They remain collectible, and like Mr. McCormick states, collect interest at the rate of 10 percent per year.