Court Opinion

ID: 9730400
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:11:26.366082+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:06.234573
License: Public Domain

SULLIVAN, Judge,
concurring.
With respect to contempt proceedings, I agree that a belated court determination that a child was earlier emancipated precludes punishment for failure to pay support. Notwithstanding my concurrence in Ross v. Ross (1979) 3rd Dist.Ind.App., 397 N.E.2d 1066, I do not agree with the implication of footnote 2 of the majority opinion which draws from that decision. The majority seems to say that a non-custodial parent may refuse or fail to seek a modification premised upon emancipation but may thereafter avoid the effect of a continuing support order.
As the majority observes, except for reaching the age of majority, the matter of emancipation is extremely fact sensitive. Until the matter has been resolved by a court, there has been no, emancipation. There can be no emancipation until the facts have been determined. See Taylor v. Chaffin (1990) 2nd Dist.Ind.App., 558 N.E.2d 879. It would seem that for a court to make a retroactive determination of emancipation is to effect a retroactive modification of a support order,. We have many times stated that such is inappropriate. Pickett v. Pickett (1984) 4th Dist.Ind. App., 470 N.E.2d 751; Whitman v. Whitman (1980) 2nd Dist.Ind.App., 405 N.E.2d 608.
Where a non-custodial parent fails to timely seek a termination of the duty of support based upon factual emancipation, as opposed to emancipation as a matter of *795law,4 he or she should be bound by the specific terms of the support order.
In all other respects, I fully concur.

. In addition to reaching the age of majority, there are other instances in which emancipation takes place as a matter of law. Upon proof that a child has enlisted in the military service, or has married, the court must find the child emancipated. Wittwer v. Wittwer (1989) 3rd Dist.Ind.App., 545 N.E.2d 27. Nevertheless, in such cases, a formal court determination is required.