In Re Marriage of Lambe & Meehan

Denise Lambe filed an order to show cause for modification of a support order for her allegedly disabled adult child. Clement Meehan, Lambe’s ex-husband and father of the child, filed a motion to dismiss the order to show cause based on a previous stipulation between Lambe and himself, which terminated support as of a definitive date and waived future family law court jurisdiction over support. The trial court granted the motion to dismiss, and Lambe appeals. We hold parents cannot agree to divest the family law court of jurisdiction over a support order for an adult indigent child. Accordingly, we reverse.

Lambe and Meehan divorced in 1975 while residing in California. Custody of their two-year-old son, Mark, was awarded to Lambe, and Meehan was ordered to pay $200 per month as child support. Shortly after the conclusion of the dissolution proceedings Meehan moved to Virginia, where he has since continuously resided. In 1992, Lambe filed an action in the family law court seeking support for Mark, who was then 19, contending he was an adult disabled child entitled to support under former Civil Code section 206. The parties resolved the matter by a stipulation, signed by…