Of all the surprises Polish family law holds for foreign parents, this is the one that lands hardest: child support does not automatically stop when your child turns 18.
I understand the shock. In many countries, the eighteenth birthday is a clean financial finish line. In Poland, it isn't. And I'd rather you heard the truth from me calmly, with the logic explained, than discover it from a court letter about a child you thought you'd "finished" supporting, or, if you're on the other side, that you give up on a claim you were entitled to bring.
A 2026 case shows exactly how this works.
The real test isn't age, it's whether the child can support themselves
Polish law doesn't tie the support duty to a birthday. It ties it to a simple question: can the child support themselves yet? While an adult child is genuinely continuing their education and cannot yet stand on their own, the duty can continue.
In the 2026 case, an adult son was still studying. His path hadn't been smooth, but he was making real progress, passing his terms, working hard. The court increased his support (from 400 to 800 złoty a month). And it confirmed a principle that catches many parents out: even the mere fact that an adult child could take a job does not, by itself, end the duty. The purpose of supporting an adult child is to let them finish developing and studying, not to push them into work the moment they turn 18.
"He could just get a job", true, and yet not the whole answer
This is where the balance is genuinely fair, and worth understanding from both sides.
The court did not treat the young man as entitled to be carried entirely. It noted he had time to work at least part-time, and expected him to contribute something himself, which is exactly why it awarded 800, not the 1,300 that was asked. So the message to an adult child is: support helps you study, but you're expected to pull your weight where you reasonably can.
And the message to the paying parent is the mirror image: you can't switch off support on the eighteenth birthday, but neither are you funding an indefinite, effort-free adulthood. The number reflects both the child's genuine need and their own capacity to contribute.
Documented difficulties shift the burden onto the other parent
One more point that matters enormously in practice.
The son's non-standard, slower study path was justified by documented difficulties (here, recognised adaptation issues). And the court placed the burden of disproving that squarely on the father, it is not the court's job to go hunting for evidence on a parent's behalf (a basic rule: the party who disputes a fact must prove it). A bare "he should manage fine" doesn't beat a documented limitation.
And, importantly for any parent tempted to use estrangement as a reason to stop, a poor relationship, or no relationship, with the adult child does not end the duty. The obligation flows from parenthood and the child's genuine need, not from how warm the bond happens to be.
(On timing: where support is increased, it generally runs from the date the claim was filed, not the date of judgment, so delay can cost arrears.)
What this means when one parent lives abroad
The principles are the same; here's what international parents most need to plan for:
- Don't assume the duty ends at 18. If your child is Polish or the case is decided under Polish law, plan for the real possibility that support continues through genuine study.
- It's a two-way test. The adult child's own capacity to contribute matters too, so the figure isn't open-ended.
- Document, don't assume. If you say your adult child can support themselves, you'll need to show it; if real difficulties slow their studies, those need documenting.
- Estrangement isn't an exit. Distance or a strained relationship, common in cross-border families, does not, by itself, end the obligation.
Which country's law applies to an adult-child claim, and how it's enforced across borders, depends on your situation under EU rules, worth checking before you assume the duty has ended.
A steady word to end on
If you're a parent who believed the finish line was 18, I'm sorry to be the one to move it, but it's far better to plan for this calmly now than to be caught out later. And if you're a parent (or an adult child) wondering whether support can continue through study, the answer is often yes, balanced honestly against what the young person can contribute themselves.
These cases turn on documents and on a fair, realistic view of need and capacity. Bring me the real situation, in English or in Polish, and we'll work out where you genuinely stand, without guesswork.
This article explains principles from a recent (2026) Polish court ruling, anonymised in the public case database. It is general information, not legal advice, and every case turns on its own facts. For advice on your situation, please contact the firm.