Child Support Attorney in Houston

In Texas, a minor has a statutory right to parental support. Child support is informed by the Texas family code support guidelines and is calculated based on a percentage of the paying parent’s net monthly income. However, because courts are granted discretion in establishing and enforcing child support obligations, practices may vary by court, by judge, or by the circumstances of each case.

Your support order could vary from guidelines for several reasons, including:

• Special or extraordinary educational, healthcare, or other expenses of the parties or of the child
• Other factors related to the obligor’s ability to pay—alimony payments, travel costs to maintain the relationship with the child, and more
• Educational expenses past age 18 if the child is enrolled in a qualified educational institution or program, and meeting certain requirements

Support order guidelines in Texas also address custody and visitation. A unique custody arrangement could mean a unique support arrangement, as well.

When determining how much your child support orders will be, the state takes into consideration several factors:

1. The noncustodial parent’s gross and net monthly income
2. How many children require support
3. Whether or not the noncustodial parent is providing health insurance (medical and dental) for the children
4. How many children outside of the child support action the noncustodial parent is legally responsible for supporting

If you want to get a rough estimate of what your child support payments may be, you can use this monthly child support calculator tool provided by the Attorney General of Texas. If you are concerned that you may be paying too much in child support, or if you are concerned that you are not being sufficiently compensated as the custodial parent, you can request to have your child support orders modified.

According to Texas child support laws, you will be required to continue paying child support until the last child turns 18 or graduates from high school; whichever happens later. There are some circumstances in which you may be required to continue paying child support even after these events occur:

• If you owe arrearages (overdue child support)
• If your child is disabled and will continue to require care even after turning 18

In these special circumstances, hiring a professional Houston child support lawyer can help you ensure that all of your options are taken into consideration, and that your child's needs are met.