§ 46b-84 — (Formerly Sec. 46-57). Parents' obligation for maintenance of minor child. Order for health insurance coverage.

Connecticut § 46b-84

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 46b: Family Law
• Ch. 815j: Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation and Annulment

Text

(a) Upon or subsequent to the annulment or dissolution of any marriage or the entry of a decree of legal separation or divorce, the parents of a minor child of the marriage, shall maintain the child according to their respective abilities, if the child is in need of maintenance. Any postjudgment procedure afforded by chapter 906 shall be available to secure the present and future financial interests of a party in connection with a final order for the periodic payment of child support. (b) If there is an unmarried child of the marriage who has attained the age of eighteen and is a full-time high school student, the parents shall maintain the child according to their respective abilities if the child is in need of maintenance until such child completes the twelfth grade or attains the age of nineteen, whichever occurs first. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only in cases where the decree of dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment is entered on or after July 1, 1994. (c) (1) The court may make appropriate orders of support of any child with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g , or a mental disability, as defined in section 46a-51 , or who is physically disabled, as defined in section 46a-51 , who resides with a parent and is principally dependent upon such parent for maintenance until such child attains the age of twenty-one. The provisions of this subdivision shall apply only in cases where the decree of dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment is entered on or after October 1, 1997, and before October 1, 2023, or where the initial support orders in actions not claiming any such decree are entered on or after October 1, 1997, and before October 1, 2023. (2) The court may make appropriate orders of support of any child with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g , or a mental disability, as defined in section 46a-51 , or who is physically disabled, as defined in section 46a-51 , who resides with a parent and is principally dependent upon such parent for maintenance until such child attains the age of twenty-six. The provisions of this subdivision shall apply only in cases where the decree of dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment is entered on or after October 1, 2023, or where the initial support orders in actions not claiming any such decree are entered on or after October 1, 2023. (3) The child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a shall not apply to any order entered under this subsection. (d) In determining whether a child is in need of maintenance and, if in need, the respective abilities of the parents to provide such maintenance and the amount thereof, the court shall consider the age, health, station, occupation, earning capacity, amount and sources of income, estate, vocational skills and employability of each of the parents, and the age, health, station, occupation, educational status and expectation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate and needs of the child. (e) At any time at which orders are entered in a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, annulment, legal separation, custody, or support, whether before, at the time of, or after entry of a decree or judgment, if health insurance coverage for a child is ordered by the court to be maintained, the court shall provide in the order that (1) the signature of the custodial parent or custodian of the insured dependent shall constitute a valid authorization to the insurer for purposes of processing an insurance reimbursement payment to the provider of the medical services, to the custodial parent or to the custodian, (2) neither parent shall prevent or interfere with the timely processing of any insurance reimbursement claim and (3) if the parent receiving an insurance reimbursement payment is not the parent or custodian who is paying the bill for the services of the medical provider, the parent receiving such insurance reimbursement payment shall promptly pay to the parent or custodian paying such bill any insurance reimbursement for such services. For purposes of subdivision (1), the custodial parent or custodian is responsible for providing the insurer with a certified copy of the order of dissolution or other order requiring maintenance of insurance for a child provided if such custodial parent or custodian fails to provide the insurer with a copy of such order, the Commissioner of Social Services may provide the insurer with a copy of such order. Such insurer may thereafter rely on such order and is not responsible for inquiring as to the legal sufficiency of the order. The custodial parent or custodian shall be responsible for providing the insurer with a certified copy of any order which materially alters the provision of the original order with respect to the maintenance of insurance for a child. If presented with an insurance reimbursement claim signed by the custodial parent or custodian, such insurer shall reimburse the provider of the medical services, if payment is to be made to such provider under the policy, or shall otherwise reimburse the custodial parent or custodian. (f) (1) After the granting of a decree annulling or dissolving the marriage or ordering a legal separation, and upon complaint or motion with order and summons made to the Superior Court by either parent or by the Commissioner of Administrative Services in any case arising under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the court shall inquire into the child's need of maintenance and the respective abilities of the parents to supply maintenance. The court shall make and enforce the decree for the maintenance of the child as it considers just, and may direct security to be given therefor, including an order to either party to contract with a third party for periodic payments or payments contingent on a life to the other party. The court may order that a party obtain life insurance as such security unless such party proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that such insurance is not available to such party, such party is unable to pay the cost of such insurance or such party is uninsurable. (2) The court shall include in each support order a provision for the health care coverage of the child who is subject to the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section. Such provision may include an order for either parent or both parents to provide such coverage under any or all of subparagraphs (A), (B) or (C) of this subdivision. (A) The provision for health care coverage may include an order for either parent to name any child as a beneficiary of any medical or dental insurance or benefit plan carried by such parent or available to such parent at a reasonable cost, as described in subparagraph (D) of this subdivision. If such order in a IV-D support case requires the parent to maintain insurance available through an employer, the order shall be enforced using a National Medical Support Notice as provided in section 46b-88 . (B) The provision for health care coverage may include an order for either parent to: (i) Apply for and maintain coverage on behalf of the child under HUSKY B; or (ii) provide cash medical support, as described in subparagraphs (E) and (F) of this subdivision. An order under this subparagraph shall be made only if the cost to the parent obligated to maintain the coverage under HUSKY B or provide cash medical support is reasonable, as described in subparagraph (D) of this subdivision. An order under clause (i) of this subparagraph shall be made only if insurance coverage as described in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision is unavailable at reasonable cost to either parent, or inaccessible to the child. (C) An order for payment of the child's medical and dental expenses, other than those described in clause (ii) of subparagraph (E) of this subdivision, that are not covered by insurance or reimbursed in any other manner shall be entered in accordance with the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a . (D) Health care coverage shall be deemed reasonable in cost if: (i) The parent obligated to maintain such coverage would qualify as a low-income obligor under the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a , based solely on such parent's income, and the cost does not exceed five per cent of such parent's net income; or (ii) the parent obligated to maintain such coverage would not qualify as a low-income obligor under such guidelines and the cost does not exceed seven and one-half per cent of such parent's net income. In either case, net income shall be determined in accordance with the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a . If a parent obligated to maintain insurance must obtain coverage for himself or herself to comply with the order to provide coverage for the child, reasonable cost shall be determined based on the combined cost of coverage for such parent and such child. (E) Cash medical support means: (i) An amount ordered to be paid toward the cost of premiums for health insurance coverage provided by a public entity, including HUSKY A or B, except as provided in subparagraph (F) of this subdivision, or by another parent through employment or otherwise, or (ii) an amount ordered to be paid, either directly to a medical provider or to the person obligated to pay such provider, toward any ongoing extraordinary medical and dental expenses of the child that are not covered by insurance or reimbursed in any other manner, provided such expenses are documented and identified (I) specifically on the record, or (II) in an affidavit, made under oath, that states no restraining order issued pursuant to section 46b-15 or protective order issued pursuant to section 46b-38c , between the parties is in effect or pending before the court. Cash medical support, as described in clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph may be ordered in lieu of an order under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision to be effective until such time as health insurance that is accessible to the child and reasonable in cost becomes available, or in addition to an order under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, provided the combined cost of insurance and cash medical support is reasonable, as defined in subparagraph (D) of this subdivision. An order for cash medical support shall be payable to the state or the custodial party, as their interests may appear, provided an order under clause (i) of this subparagraph shall be effective only as long as health insurance coverage is maintained. Any unreimbursed medical and dental expenses not covered by an order issued pursuant to clause (ii) of this subparagraph are subject to an order for unreimbursed medical and dental expenses pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this subdivision. (F) Cash medical support to offset the cost of any insurance payable under HUSKY A or B, shall not be ordered against a noncustodial parent who is a low-income obligor, as defined in the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a , or against a custodial parent of children covered under HUSKY A or B. (g) Whenever an obligor is before the court in proceedings to establish, modify or enforce a support order, and such order is not secured by an income withholding order, the court may require the obligor to execute a bond or post other security sufficient to perform such order for support, provided the court finds that such a bond is available for purchase within the financial means of the obligor. Upon failure of such obligor to comply with such support order, the court may order the bond or the security forfeited and the proceeds thereof distributed as required by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. In any IV-D case in which the obligor is found by the court to owe past-due support, the court may issue an order for the periodic payment of such support or, if such obligor is not incapacitated, order such obligor to participate in work activities which may include, but shall not be limited to, job search, training, work experience and participation in the job training and retraining program established by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to section 31-3t . (h) In IV-D support cases, as defined in subdivision (13) of subsection (b) of section 46b-231 , a copy of any support order established or modified pursuant to this section or, in the case of a motion for modification of an existing support order, a notice of determination that there should be no change in the amount of the support order, shall be provided to each party and the state case registry within fourteen days after issuance of such order or determination. See Sec. 17b-743 re direction that payments under support order be made to Commissioner of Administrative Services or local welfare department. See Sec. 17b-744 re discontinuance of support payments to Commissioner of Administrative Services. See Sec. 46b-88 re National Medical Support Notice. See Sec. 46b-215e re institutionalized or incarcerated child support obligor.

Legislative History

(P.A. 73-373, S. 26; P.A. 74-169, S. 14, 18; P.A. 77-614, S. 70, 610; P.A. 78-230, S. 42, 54; P.A. 83-527, S. 2; P.A. 84-205, S. 1; 84-230; P.A. 87-207, S. 2; P.A. 89-195, S. 2; P.A. 91-4, S. 1, 2; P.A. 94-61, S. 1, 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5, S. 9, 30; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 63, 130; P.A. 97-321, S. 1; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 104, 165; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7, S. 17, 38; P.A. 99-279, S. 29, 45; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 42; P.A. 03-130, S. 4; 03-202, S. 24; P.A. 06-149, S. 8; P.A. 07-247, S. 6, 7; P.A. 11-129, S. 20; P.A. 15-69, S. 42; P.A. 21-104, S. 22; P.A. 23-137, S. 64.) History: P.A. 74-169 required parents to maintain child “subsequent to” as well as “upon” annulment or dissolution of marriage or separation decree and added reference to divorce; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 78-230 divided section into Subsecs. and restated provisions in Subsecs. (a) and (c); Sec. 46-57 transferred to Sec. 46b-84 in 1979; P.A. 83-527 amended Subsec. (c) to provide that the court may order either party to contract with a third party for periodic payments or payments contingent on a life to the other party; P.A. 84-205 added the language concerning orders for medical or dental insurance in Subsec. (c); P.A. 84-230 inserted new Subsec. (c) re order for health insurance coverage for an insured dependent of the marriage, relettering former Subsec. (c) as (d); P.A. 87-207 amended Subsec. (c) to clarify that if the parent receiving an insurance reimbursement payment is not the parent who paid the bill, the former shall promptly pay the latter the amount of the reimbursement, and to require parents to notify insurers of any order altering responsibility for maintenance of insurance for the child; P.A. 89-195 added Subsec. (e) re authority of court to order bond or security for performance of support order and forfeiture of such bond or security and payment of proceeds; P.A. 91-4 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “or custodian” after “custodial parent”; P.A. 94-61 inserted new Subsec. (b) re support of unmarried child who has attained age of 18, is a full-time high school student and resides with a parent until such child completes the twelfth grade or attains age of 19, whichever first occurs, effective July 1, 1994; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5 allowed the commissioner of social services to provide an insurer with a copy of the order of dissolution or other order requiring maintenance of insurance for a minor child if the custodial parent or custodian fails to provide the insurer with a copy, effective July 1, 1994; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 made technical changes in Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-321 added new provisions as Subsec. (c) re order of support of child with mental retardation or mental disability residing with parent until child is twenty-one, redesignating remaining Subsecs. accordingly; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (g) to replace references to “AFDC” with reference to “TANF”, effective July 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7 amended Subsec. (f) by requiring court to include provision for health care coverage of child in each support order, amended Subsec. (g) by changing “wage garnishment” to “income withholding order” and adding provision re IV-D cases in which obligor found to owe past-due support and added Subsec. (h) re copy of support order notification or other determination to be supplied to each party and state case registry, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provisions re health care coverage under HUSKY Plan where coverage is unavailable at reasonable cost through a parent, effective July 1, 1999; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re enforcement of employment-based order in a IV-D support case using a National Medical Support Notice; P.A. 03-130 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re availability of postjudgment procedure; P.A. 03-202 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re order to obtain life insurance as security; P.A. 06-149 amended Subsec. (f) to substitute exemption from insurance payment contributions for low-income obligors for prior exemption if payment would reduce amount of support required under child support guidelines, and amended Subsec. (g) to substitute requirement that proceeds of forfeited bond or security be distributed as required by Title IV-D for prior requirement that proceeds be paid to the state in TANF cases or the obligee in non-TANF cases, effective June 6, 2006; P.A. 07-247 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting requirement that child “resides with a parent” re support for a child 18 or older who is a full-time high school student, and substantially revised Subsec. (f) by adding new Subdiv. designators (1) and (2), by adding Subpara. designators (A) to (F) in Subsec. (f)(2), by specifying in Subsec. (f)(2) that either parent may be ordered to name a child as a beneficiary of any medical or dental insurance plan carried by or available to such parent at a reasonable cost, by describing “reasonable in cost” re maintaining health care coverage, deleting language that required applying for coverage under the HUSKY Plan, Part B only if noncustodial parent had sufficient ability to pay appropriate premium, by providing that court may order either parent to provide for coverage under HUSKY Plan, Part B, or alternatively enter an order for “cash medical support” as long as any such order was reasonable, by defining “cash medical support” and requirements related to entry of a cash medical support order and by making technical changes; pursuant to P.A. 11-129, “mental retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “intellectual disability” in Subsec. (c); P.A. 15-69 amended Subsec. (f)(2) to change “the HUSKY Plan, Part B” to “HUSKY B” and change “the HUSKY Plan, Part A or Part B” to “HUSKY A or B”, effective June 19, 2015; P.A. 21-104 amended Subsec. (f)(2)(E) to add Subpara. (E)(ii)(II) re affidavits and make a conforming change, effective June 28, 2021; P.A. 23-137 redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (c)(1) and amended same by replacing “physical disability” with “who is physically disabled”, adding that provisions of said Subsec. (c)(1) apply to orders entered before October 1, 2023, and by making technical changes, added new Subsec. (c)(2) re court authority to enter an order of support, on and after October 1, 2023, for child with an intellectual disability, mental disability or who is physically disabled who is residing with a parent until child attains the age of 26 and redesignated existing provision re nonapplicability of child support guidelines to orders entered under Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (c)(3). Annotations to former section 46-57: Court's conclusion that wife's departure with children was unlawful without first procuring the permission of the court is incorrect. 165 C. 735. Cited. 168 C. 264; 170 C. 258; 171 C. 23; 176 C. 222. Annotations to present section: Cited. 177 C. 47. Defendant was under no statutory obligation to provide support because he was not the child's biological or adoptive father and had not been adjudged the father in a paternity proceeding or filed a formal acknowledgment of paternity. 180 C. 114. Court did not exceed its authority by setting aside certain personal property for the use of the minor children. Id., 528. Cited. 181 C. 145; Id., 463; 183 C. 230. Trial court abused its discretion in requiring the noncustodial parent to pay for private secondary schooling to which he, in good faith, objected, as being unnecessary and undesirable. Id., 253. Cited. Id., 512; 184 C. 406. Subject matter jurisdiction discussed. Id., 558. Cited. 187 C. 380; 188 C. 354. Support award may not be used to disguise alimony awards to custodial parent. 190 C. 345. Cited. 196 C. 260; 197 C. 1; 199 C. 287; 219 C. 703; 228 C. 85; 235 C. 82; 236 C. 250; Id., 582; 240 C. 35. Court need not make explicit reference to statutory criteria it considered in its decision resolving property and alimony disputes in dissolution of marriage action; judgment of Appellate Court in 40 CA 178 reversed. Id., 79. Cited. 1 CA 686; 2 CA 270; Id., 348; 3 CA 322; 5 CA 85; Id., 249; 10 CA 466; 15 CA 292; 18 CA 336; 19 CA 146; 20 CA 609; 22 CA 392; 25 CA 555; Id., 595; 26 CA 174; Id., 737; 27 CA 364; 33 CA 633; 39 CA 162; 41 CA 716; Id., 861; 43 CA 541; Id., 575; 44 CA 605. Child support order that provided a single dollar amount for support of all children, and did not provide mechanism for dividing support between the children once elder child reached age of majority, demonstrates an intent by the parties that they clearly and unambiguously provided only for the support of minor children, and did not enter into an agreement for postmajority support. 107 CA 1. Cited. 41 CS 429; 42 CS 562. Parent's obligation to support his or her children exists only until age of majority. 49 CS 238. Subsec. (a): Although facial inconsistencies exist between this section and Secs. 52-350a and 52-350f, P.A. 03-130 was intended to enable a party to address the default of a final order for child support or alimony through use of the postjudgment procedures in Ch. 906. 146 CA 79. Subsec. (b): Award of child support based on defendant's demonstrated earning capacity is appropriate especially where defendant has wilfully depleted his earnings. 180 C. 184. Cited. 186 C. 191; Id., 311; 206 C. 150; 207 C. 217; 218 C. 467. Cited. 2 CA 270; 17 CA 670. Section has a legitimate governmental purpose and any classification created by section is rationally related to such purpose and, therefore, does not violate equal protection clause of U.S. Constitution. 46 CS 553. Subsec. (d): “Amount and sources of income” has been consistently construed as limited to parties' available net income rather than gross income; since trial court improperly relied on gross income in determining defendant's support obligation, all other financial orders appurtenant to the modification proceeding must fail because the child support order is entirely interwoven with such other financial orders, and trial court, on remand, must reconsider all financial orders associated with the modification. 262 C. 299. Child support order was improper where the court based award on defendant's superior earning capacity, the needs of plaintiff and the disparity in parental income and where the court failed to consider the needs of the children; when parties' combined net weekly income exceeds the upper limit of the guidelines' schedule, the court shall apply the principles that underlie the child support guidelines. 296 C. 80. Child support orders must be made in accordance with the principles established in statute and the child support guidelines, and any deviation must be accompanied by the court's explanation as to why the guidelines are inequitable or inappropriate and why deviation is necessary to meet needs of child; court improperly awarded 20 per cent of defendant's annual cash bonus as additional child support. 297 C. 358. Cited. 31 CA 214. In considering “amount and sources of income”, court cannot ignore fact that defendant receives a substantial year-end bonus simply because it is not received until the following year; provision does not require court to structure payment of alimony and child support to accommodate payor's compensation schedule. 71 CA 614. Trial court's determination of child support award reversed where trial court improperly imputed to obligor an amount of investment income unsupported by the evidence and not legally warranted; for court to impute additional investment income capacity to a party in formulating its support orders, court must find that party has unreasonably depressed investment income in order to evade a support obligation or that party's investment strategy is economically unreasonable. 87 CA 699. Defendant's annual bonus constituted an “amount and source of income” that court should have considered when determining division of marital property and awarding alimony and child support, and matter should be remanded for recalculation of all awards even though child support award was calculated correctly. 98 CA 706.