Dallas Child Support Lawyer — Fighting for Fair Support for Your Child

One of the most contested issues in Texas child support cases is defining net resources. The formula is only as accurate as the income figure it is applied to, and both overstatement and understatement of income are common points of dispute.

What Is Included in Net Resources

Texas law casts a wide net. Net resources include virtually all income sources before deductions, including:

• Wages, salary, overtime, tips and bonuses
• Commissions and self-employment income
• Rental income and trust income
• Interest and dividends
• Retirement and pension income
• Severance pay and unemployment benefits
•  Social Security benefits (non-supplemental)
• Most VA disability benefits

Allowed Deductions

From that gross figure, Texas law allows only specific deductions to arrive at net resources:

•  Federal income tax (calculated as a single filer with one exemption)
• Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA)
• Health and dental insurance premiums for the child
•  Union dues
• Non-discretionary retirement contributions (if not paying into Social Security)

Notably, a new spouse’s income is never included, and personal expenses do not reduce net resources. For self-employed parents, courts scrutinize business deductions carefully; personal expenses passed through a business may be added back to income.

The Texas guidelines create a presumption, not a mandate. Under Texas Family Code Section 154.123, a court may deviate upward or downward if applying the formula would be unjust or inappropriate given the circumstances. Factors that can support a deviation include:

• Special needs of the child: Significant medical, educational, or therapeutic expenses beyond what the base formula covers.
• Extraordinary expenses: Private school tuition, specialized therapy, or other costs agreed upon or ordered by the court.
• Possession and access: If a parent has significantly more than the standard possession time, the court may adjust support accordingly.
• Intentional underemployment: If a parent is voluntarily earning less than their capacity, quitting a high-paying job, working part-time without justification, courts can base support on imputed income reflecting what the parent is capable of earning.
• Children in multiple households: If the paying parent has child support obligations for children from other relationships, Texas applies an adjusted percentage calculation to prevent undue financial hardship.

Deviations require specific findings by the court and are more difficult to obtain than many parents expect. An experienced attorney can assess whether your situation supports a deviation argument and build the evidence to support it.

Many Dallas parents rely on the Texas Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division to establish, modify or enforce child support — and the OAG provides valuable free services, particularly for lower-income families. But there is a critical distinction most parents don’t realize until it matters: the OAG does not represent you.

The OAG represents the State of Texas. Its interest is in ensuring children do not become dependent on public assistance, not in maximizing your recovery or minimizing your obligation. In practice, this means:

• No legal advice: OAG caseworkers can explain procedures but cannot advise you on strategy or advocate for your specific interests.
• No custody or visitation help: The OAG handles child support only. If support and custody are intertwined, as they often are, the OAG cannot address the custody side.
• High caseloads and slow timelines: The OAG manages an enormous volume of cases. Enforcement actions through the OAG can take considerably longer than a private attorney filing directly.
• No negotiation on your behalf: The OAG will not negotiate with the other parent’s attorney on your behalf or correspond directly with you if the other parent is represented by private counsel.

A private attorney works exclusively for you, advocating for your specific outcome, moving at your pace, and handling the full range of issues in your case. If your situation involves disputed income, a self-employed co-parent, above-guideline support, or an enforcement action that has stalled, private representation is almost always the more effective path.

Texas takes non-payment of child support seriously, and the enforcement tools available are substantial. If your co-parent has fallen behind on payments, you do not have to wait, and waiting typically makes collection harder, not easier.

Enforcement tools in Texas include:

• Wage withholding: Income withholding orders are standard in virtually all Texas child support cases and automatically deduct support from the paying parent’s paycheck.
• License suspension: Driver’s licenses, professional licenses, and occupational certifications can all be suspended for non-payment.
• Contempt of court: A parent who willfully violates a support order can be held in contempt, facing fines and up to six months in jail per violation.
• Liens and asset seizure: Liens can be placed on real property, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and other assets.
• Tax refund intercept: The OAG can intercept state and federal tax refunds for parents with arrears.
• Credit reporting: Unpaid support can be reported to credit bureaus, affecting the non-paying parent’s credit.

If you hire a private attorney to enforce a child support order and you prevail, Texas law typically requires the non-paying parent to cover your attorney’s fees, meaning enforcement often pays for itself. Interest on unpaid support accrues at 6% annually.

Learn more about order enforcement →

Child support disputes look simple on paper — a formula, a percentage, a number. In practice, they involve contested income figures, disputed expenses, enforcement battles, and modifications that require you to know not just what the law says but how to apply it effectively in a Dallas courtroom.

• Accurate Income Analysis: We know how to uncover and properly document all sources of income, including self-employment earnings, variable compensation, bonuses, and business distributions that paying parents sometimes underreport.
• Strategic Advocacy Above and Below the Cap: Whether you are seeking above-guideline support for a high earner or defending against an inflated calculation, we know how to build the case.
• Fast, Effective Enforcement: We move faster than the OAG and work exclusively for you, not the state.
• Modification Expertise: We help parents navigate both the timing and the substance of modification requests, including cases involving the new 2025 cap change.
• Integrated Family Law: Child support rarely exists in isolation. When your case also involves custody, visitation or enforcement of other orders, we handle all of it.