Net Resources
Support begins with identifying the income and resources included in the calculation and applying the deductions recognized by Texas law.
Dallas–Fort Worth Child Support Attorney
Child support is a formula.
Your family is not.
Representation involving Texas guideline calculations, income and net resources, medical and dental support, modifications, enforcement, arrears, and changing financial circumstances.
The amount on the order matters, but so do the income figures behind it, the number of children being supported, health-care obligations, existing orders, and whether the facts have changed since support was last set.
Texas GuidelinesNet-resource calculations
Medical & DentalAdditional support obligations
ModificationWhen circumstances change
EnforcementOrders, arrears, withholding
Dallas–Fort WorthServing North Texas
At a Glance
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas generally calculates guideline child support as a percentage of the obligor's net resources. The guideline percentage depends on the number of children before the court, and different calculations can apply when the parent has a legal duty to support children in more than one household. The court ultimately enters the support order.
What Can Affect The Order
The percentage is only part of the calculation.
A support case can turn on what counts as resources, allowable deductions, other children the parent must support, medical and dental coverage, and whether guideline support fits the facts before the court.
Number of Children
The guideline percentage changes with the number of children before the court, and a multiple-family calculation may apply when other children must also be supported.
Medical & Dental Support
Texas orders can require health and dental coverage or other medical-support arrangements in addition to regular child support.
Changing Income
A meaningful increase or decrease in income may become relevant to a request to modify an existing support order.
Arrears & Enforcement
Past-due support can create arrears, and existing obligations remain enforceable unless and until the order is legally changed.
Existing Orders
Informal agreements between parents do not replace the amount stated in the court order. A legal modification is needed to change the ordered amount.
Texas Guideline Percentages
The basic guideline starts with net resources.
For children covered by one order, Texas guidance describes the familiar guideline percentages below. These figures are a starting framework, not a substitute for calculating the actual resources and circumstances in a particular case.
20%1 child
25%2 children
30%3 children
35%4 children
40%5+ children
What To Do Now
Four things to do when child support becomes disputed.
Gather current income records.
Collect pay information, tax documents, benefit records, business-income records, and other materials that may affect the calculation of resources.
Read the existing order.
Confirm the exact monthly obligation, medical and dental requirements, payment method, and any existing arrears before relying on informal arrangements.
Document major changes.
Income changes, responsibility for additional children, changes in insurance, or a child living with a different parent may be relevant to modification.
Do not assume the amount changed automatically.
A job loss, raise, or private agreement does not itself rewrite the court order. The ordered amount remains in place until it is legally modified.
The Child Support Case
From financial records to an enforceable order.
A support matter may involve establishing an initial obligation, reviewing an existing order, negotiating through the Child Support Review Process, or asking a court to decide disputed issues.
01 · Financial Information
Identify income, resources, deductions, other support obligations, insurance, and the current terms of any existing order.
02 · Guideline Analysis
Apply the relevant Texas support framework to the financial facts and number of children involved.
03 · Review or Hearing
Some matters can be handled through the Child Support Review Process; unresolved issues may proceed to a court hearing.
04 · Payment & Enforcement
The final order governs the obligation, and wage withholding is commonly used to send support payments through the regular paycheck.
Changing An Existing Order
When life changes, the support order may need to change too.
Texas provides a formal modification process. The Office of the Attorney General explains that an order may qualify for review based on specified guideline differences after three years or because of a material and substantial change in circumstances.
01
Income has increased or decreased.
A significant change in the obligor's income can be relevant to whether the current support amount should be reviewed.
02
There are additional children to support.
Becoming legally responsible for additional children can affect the support analysis and multiple-family calculation.
03
Medical insurance has changed.
Changes in available medical or dental coverage can justify review of the support provisions connected to health care.
04
The child is living with a different parent.
A substantial change in where the child lives may be relevant, but the existing support order should still be formally addressed rather than ignored.
Child Support Strategy
Start with the order. Then verify the numbers behind it.
Child support disputes become harder when people argue from assumptions instead of records. A useful analysis starts with the actual court order, current income information, the children covered by the case, other legal support obligations, health-care coverage, and the procedural path required to establish, modify, or enforce the obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions parents ask about Texas child support.
What are the basic Texas child support percentages?
Texas guidance lists 20% of net resources for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more children in the basic guideline framework. Different calculations can apply when a parent supports children in multiple households.
Is medical support separate from regular child support?
Yes. Texas child support orders can include medical and dental support obligations in addition to the regular support amount.
Can I reduce child support because my income dropped?
Not simply by paying less. A qualifying income change may support a modification request, but the existing order remains controlling until it is formally changed.
Can parents privately agree to a different amount?
An informal agreement does not change the court-ordered obligation. Texas explains that the ordered amount can be changed through the formal modification process rather than by private agreement alone.
How are child support payments commonly collected?
Wage withholding is widely used in Texas. The employer receives an income-withholding order, deducts the support from the employee's paycheck, and sends the payment for processing.
Confidential Consultation
Need Help With A Child Support Order?
Tell us whether support has already been ordered, whether income or custody has changed, whether arrears or enforcement are involved, and whether medical support or self-employment income needs to be addressed.
Support orders should reflect accurate financial information.
Child support cases can involve guideline calculations, self-employment income, medical support, arrears, modification, enforcement, and changes in custody or possession schedules.
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