<p>Someone mentioned earlier that it is difficult to get a court to enforce a divorce decree clause where one party is supposed to pay some portion of college costs. While it may not stand up if the person to pay does not do so, in the vast majority of divorce cases the two parties do actually live up to what is in the decree without further court intervention. Most of the time the terms are negotiated between the two parties and the court rubber stamps it. So it is worth it for the OP’s parents to put how they intend to handle college costs in writing. Although it may not withstand a legal challenge, just reaching an agreement between them now could be all that is needed. It would sure help the OP and his siblings plan better for their future.</p>
<p>Don’t any of you guys have “nutjobs” in your family tree? We sure do… it did not even occur to me that the OP might actually be wrong on this. I still think he should work to maintain a relationship with his mom and try to stay out of the details of the divorce. But good gosh, I have two different sisters-in-law who completely qualify in the nutcase category – one in a criminal way and the other in a “some people really oughta be locked up” way.</p>