Child Support

Clark Law Group > Family Law > Child Support

Dallas Lawyer Helping Texas Parents Fight for Fair Child Support Orders

Arranging an equitable child support order can be one of the most difficult matters involved in a divorce. When parents receive child support payments as they need them, they will have a greater ability to raise their child successfully. With the help of the Dallas child support attorney at Clark Law Group, you can fight for fair child support with your parental partner and ensure that the child has the best opportunity to succeed. Keep in mind that working out functional child support terms up front is much easier than modifying them later on.

How Do Child Support Payments Work in Texas?

Once the parents of a child no longer live together, one can request child support payments from the other. An exception to this would be if the parents were enrolled in a public assistance program, in which case the County will determine if a payment needs to be made. These payments will last until the child reaches the age of 18 unless special arrangements are made, such as payments lasting until their graduation or if they suffer from a disability. Our child support attorney in Dallas can help assist you in getting the child support you need.

Child support payments can be ended in cases where the child:

Gets married
Enlists in the military
Becomes legally emancipated

Calculating Child Support

Courts in Texas calculate child support payments by calculating a parent’s net income after social security taxes, Federal income tax, union dues, and any health insurance or medical expenses the parent pays for the children. This figure—up to $9,200.00—is then multiplied by a factor between 20% and 40% depending on the number of children. This can be increased as well if a parent can prove the child needs more support than the calculation would grant.

The process for establishing appropriate amounts is complicated and can be confusing. Get the help of our team to ensure your child support payments are fair and sufficient for the child’s needs.

Child support may be agreed upon during an uncontested divorce process. Generally, even if the parents are not divorcing, a meeting will be scheduled to attempt to negotiate child support payments. If an agreement cannot be reached, child support may be ordered by the court. Child support will usually be paid on a monthly basis.

Generally, child support funds are to be used to meet the child’s basic daily needs. This may include proving essentials like food, shelter, clothing, and educational or medical expenses.

A parent’s obligations may vary depending on a number of factors. The non-custodial parent’s income is often the most important factor considered. However, if your children have special needs, disabilities, high medical expenses, or mental health issues, you may be able to receive more child support to account for these expenditures.

Child support payments in Texas are calculated based on the obligor’s net income after deducting any health insurance costs or medical costs the parent covers for the child, as well as taxes and certain other deductions. This figure cannot exceed $8,550 per month. Depending on the number of children entitled to support, a child support award will generally be between 20 percent and 40 percent of the parent’s net income.

There are steps an attorney can help you take to enforce the child support order. In cases involving willful non-payment of child support, a parent may be found in contempt of court and fined or even jailed, in addition to being ordered to pay your attorney’s fees. The court may be able to offer remedies to collect the amount of child support that is owed as well as continuing payment, such as by garnishing the other parent’s wages or putting liens on their assets until they are out of arrears.

If negotiated, child support can continue throughout the time the child is in college. Otherwise, payments generally terminate when the child turns 18 years old. Child support also terminates if the child gets married, joins the military, or gets legally emancipated as a minor.

If you are in the process of a divorce, you may be able to obtain spousal maintenance payments in addition to child support. In some cases, you may be able to receive a higher child support payment due to your inability to work. Often, the custodial parent cannot work because they have young children to care for. As child support law is designed to protect the child, your lack of income may factor into the amount your child needs to meet their needs.