Dallas Child Support Lawyer

Determining who pays child support and the amount of support to be paid is often one of the most contentious issues in a divorce or child custody case.  In many instances the parent with visitation rights to the child is ordered to pay child support to the parent having primary custody of the child.  In some cases the parties can mutually agree upon the amount of child support a parent pays.

The Texas Family Code provides the following guidelines for calculating a parent’s child support obligation:

1 Child                        20% of Obligor’s Net Resources
2 Children                   25% of Obligor’s Net Resources
3 Children                   30% of Obligor’s Net Resources
4 Children                   35% of Obligor’s Net Resources
5 Children                   40% of Obligor’s Net Resources
6 or More Children       Not Less than 40% of Obligor’s Net Resources

These guidelines apply to the first $7,500.00 of the obligor’s monthly “net resources.”  Determining what constitutes a parent’s net resources can be complicated, and this computation ultimately determines the amount of child support a parent can be ordered to pay under most circumstances.  Additionally, the percentage of child support a parent is ordered to pay depends upon whether the parent is already paying child support to children outside the present case.  To ensure proper accounting child support payments are usually submitted through the Texas State Disbursement Unit (SDU).  A court can also order that a parent’s support payments be withheld from their paycheck.

The duration of child support payments is another common issue encountered in a divorce or child custody case.  Support payments are typically ordered until the child’s 18th birthday or their graduation from high school.  It is also possible for child support to be terminated early, extended beyond the child’s 18th birthday and increased or decreased in amount under certain conditions.  Additionally, a parent may be ordered to provide health insurance or pay medical expenses for a child as part of their child support obligation.

There are many complicated aspects to the issue of child support.  A support order can be in place for an extended period of time without review by the court or Office of the Attorney General.  For this reason it is important to consult a qualified and experienced family law attorney.  Call The Raggio Law Firm, P.C. today for a free case evaluation.