JDF 1408 Motion to Terminate Child Support: Instructions and Guide

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. GoFile is not a law firm. Using our platform or reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice for your specific situation, consult a licensed Colorado attorney.

Last Updated: June 2026

JDF 1408 is the form a parent files when the last or only child has emancipated and the child support obligation should end. Unlike a modification filing — where parents work through income worksheets, financial statements, and compliance certificates — the termination bundle is deliberately small. Two forms. No JDF 1111. No child support worksheet. No JDF 1104.

That simplicity is the good news. The part that requires attention is a single procedural requirement buried in the JDF 1426 instructions that’s easy to miss: if the County Department of Human Services Office of Child Support Services is involved in the case, the filing parent must send them a copy of JDF 1408. Skip that, and the DHS office may continue enforcing an order the court has already terminated.

Here’s how the form works, section by section.

What JDF 1408 Is (and When It’s Used)

JDF 1408 is the Motion to Terminate Child Support. It’s the document that formally asks the court to end the child support obligation because the child has been emancipated under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(13)(a). For orders entered on or after July 1, 1997, emancipation occurs when the child turns 19, marries or enters a civil union, enters active military duty, moves from the family residence and is capable of self-support, or is declared emancipated by a court.

This form is used only when the last or only remaining child covered by the support order has emancipated. When one child in a multi-child order ages out but other children remain, a modification filing (JDF 1403 or JDF 1404; stipulation vs. motion explains the difference) is the path that applies — not a termination.

The Termination Form Bundle

The complete bundle per JDF 1426 (Instructions to File a Motion to Terminate Child Support) consists of two forms:

JDF 1408 — Motion to Terminate Child Support (the filing parent completes this)

JDF 1409 — Order to Terminate Child Support (caption-only form — the filing parent fills in the case heading, and the court completes the rest)

Both are available at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help.

What’s not required is worth repeating because it confuses parents who have been through modification filings before: JDF 1111 (Sworn Financial Statement) is not part of this bundle. There is no child support worksheet. JDF 1104 (Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Financial Disclosures) is not required. Termination is a binary legal question — has the child emancipated? — not a financial recalculation.

Completing JDF 1408: Key Sections

Case caption. The top of JDF 1408 requires the court name, case number, division (if applicable), and the names of both parties as they appear on the original order. The case number is on the original decree or the most recent support order.

Identification of the child. The form asks for the name and date of birth of the child whose emancipation triggers the termination. If the order covers multiple children and only the last child is now emancipating, include the information for that child.

Basis for termination. JDF 1408 requires the filing parent to identify the emancipation trigger. The form provides checkboxes or lines to indicate which statutory basis applies — turning 19, marriage, military duty, self-supporting and moved from the family home, or court-determined emancipation. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(13)(a), the filing parent identifies the factual basis; the court determines whether it’s sufficient.

Certificate of Service. The Certificate of Service section is built into JDF 1408 itself. There’s no need for a separate JDF 1313 or standalone service document. This section documents how the filing parent served the other parent with a copy of the motion — the method (personal service, mail, or e-service through CCE), the date of service, and the name and address of the person served.

Filing, Service, and Costs

Where to file. JDF 1408 goes to the court that issued the original child support order. If the case originated in Denver County, 2nd Judicial District, that’s where the termination motion gets filed — even if one or both parents have since moved to different counties.

Filing fee. The filing fee is $105 (C.R.S. § 13-32-101(2)), plus $12 if e-filing through CCE (Colorado Courts E-Filing). If the other parent files a response, the response fee is $146 (C.R.S. § 13-32-101(1)(b)), though this applies only if it’s their first filing in the case.

Service. The other parent must receive a copy of JDF 1408 and JDF 1409. Service can be completed by mail, by personal service through a process server or Sheriff’s office, or electronically through CCE if the other parent has a CCE account. The Certificate of Service section in JDF 1408 is where the filing parent documents how service was completed.

Self-addressed stamped envelopes. Unless the court is a mandatory e-filing court, the filing parent should include a self-addressed stamped envelope for each party so the court can mail back the signed Order (JDF 1409) after it’s entered.

The DHS Notification Requirement

If the County Department of Human Services Office of Child Support Services (CSS) is involved in the case — whether they’ve been routing payments, enforcing the order, or managing collections — the filing parent must send CSS a copy of JDF 1408.

The JDF 1426 instructions state this plainly: “This is required.”

How to tell if CSS is involved: look at the original order or any recent correspondence. If payments have been routed through the Family Support Registry (FSR) or if the county CSS office has contacted either parent about the case, CSS involvement is likely. When in doubt, sending a copy to the county CSS office is the safer approach — an unnecessary copy creates no problems, while a missing one can delay or complicate the termination.

What Happens After Filing

Under C.R.C.P. 16.2(c), the court has 49 days from the filing date to act on the motion. In many cases, termination motions are decided on the pleadings — meaning the court reviews the paperwork and enters the order without scheduling a hearing. This is more likely when the basis for termination is straightforward, such as the child turning 19.

If the other parent contests the termination — for example, arguing that the child is still enrolled in high school under the high school exception — the court may set a hearing to resolve the dispute.

Once the court grants the order, one more step remains. The termination order ends the legal obligation, but it doesn’t stop wage withholding by itself. If child support has been deducted from the paying parent’s paycheck through an income assignment, the employer continues withholding until someone tells them to stop.

That “someone” is the paying parent. Per JDF 1426: “It is the responsibility of the Obligor to provided [sic] copies of the Order to Terminate Child Support to his/her employer to terminate the income assignment.”

The companion form for this step is JDF 84 (Notice to Terminate Income Assignment). It’s an administrative notice delivered to the employer’s payroll department along with a copy of the court’s Order (JDF 1409). The JDF 84 guide covers that notice step by step.

---

JDF 1408 is one of the shortest and most focused filings in Colorado family law. Two forms, no financial disclosures, and a straightforward legal question. The two details that make or break a clean filing are the DHS notification (send CSS a copy if they’re in the case) and the post-order employer notification (deliver the Order and JDF 84 to payroll). Everything else is standard case-caption paperwork.

The form and official instructions are available on the Colorado Judicial Branch’s End Child Support page.

---

GoFile.ai is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We provide self-help document preparation services at your specific direction. If you need legal advice, please consult with a licensed Colorado attorney.