Alton L. Abramowitz Alton L. Abramowitz

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law legislation that had been sitting on the desk of her predecessor at the time that Governor Hochul assumed office, which amends both the Domestic Relation Law (DRL) and the Family Court Act (FCA) by making the parents of adult children with "certain" developmental disabilities chargeable for the support of those children until the age of 26. See DRL §240-d and FCA §413-b. The legislative memorandum providing the "justification" for this change in our law, reads as follows:

The "age of majority" is the legal age established by state law which defines that an individual is no longer a minor, and as a young adult, is granted the right and responsibility to make certain legal choices that adults make. In some states, you are considered an adult at the age of 18 or upon high school graduation, in others it is extended until the age of 21.