Fair Child Support Orders in Texas: Your Guide

If the parents don’t live together with the child, due to either divorce or the fact they were never married, the noncustodial parent usually has a duty of paying child support to the custodial parent. Texas child support laws have enacted support guidelines to strike a fair balance and avoid an undue burden to one of the parents. The guidelines calculate basic child support based on the noncustodial parent’s net income and the number of children receiving support. From there, the court has discretion to adjust a result that might be inappropriate in light of all the facts.

Key Factors Influencing Child Support Decisions in Texas

The Texas Family Code § 154.123 instructs the court to consider certain factors:

• The child’s age and needs.
• The parent’s ability to contribute to the child’s support.
• Any financial resources available for the child support.
• The obligee’s (i.e., the person receiving child support) net resources and earning potential.
• Childcare expenses.
• Whether either party has actual physical custody of another child.
• The amount of alimony or spousal maintenance owed in addition to child support.
• The child’s educational expenses.
• Employee benefits, such as housing or a company car.
• Health insurance and uninsured medical expenses for the child.
• Extraordinary educational, healthcare, or other expenses of the child.
• Travel expenses incurred to exercise visitation.
• Positive or negative cash flow from real or personal property and assets such as businesses or investments.
• Any other reason consistent with the best interests of the child, taking into consideration the circumstances of the parents.

As your family law advocate, the child support lawyers at Burrows Law Group bring to the court’s attention any factors that could lead to a favorable result.

Duration of Child Support Payments in Texas

A custody order generally lasts until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, but it may extend in the case of a disabled child. If you owe back child support and the child has turned 18, you will still owe payments to the other parent until your debt has been paid in full.

Modifying Your Child Support Order: What You Need to Know

It is often necessary to ask the court to modify an order based on the changing needs of the child or a change in the obligor parent’s ability to pay.

In our practice, we represent obligors who have experienced serious financial reversals that require a reduction in payments. We also represent recipient parents who oppose motions to reduce child support or who move to increase child support based on the best interests of their children.

To schedule a consultation with one of our child support attorneys in Denton County, Texas, please call us at (972) 236-7798 or click here to be taken to our online form. We represent throughout Frisco, Collin County, and surrounding areas.