Child support is about your child’s right to grow and thrive. In Texas, you can file a suit for child support any time between your child’s birth and 18th birthday, graduation, or emancipation. If your child is disabled, you can file for child support at any time during your child’s life as long as the disability existed before your child’s 18th birthday.

Monthly child support pays for your child’s daily needs, including food, shelter, healthcare, and education. You or the other parent may voluntarily agree to pay child support. If an agreement cannot be reached or you prefer to have the court determine the amount of child support, the court will issue a child support order.

The Texas Family Code provides set guidelines (percentages) to determine the amount of support to be paid per child. A good place to start in determining an amount is to use the child support calculator (https://csapps.oag.texas.gov/monthly-child-support-calculator_) on the Office of the Attorney General of Texas website. The guidelines help determine the amount of child support you owe based on your “net resources.” Net resources include all wages, income, and payments you receive. In Texas, the guidelines provide a deduction of your social security tax, federal income tax, union dues and health insurance contributions.

Courts in Texas normally follow the guidelines set forth in the Family Code, however, in some circumstances, the Court could order further support based on your child’s proven needs. Also, when there is an agreement or order of equal possession by both parents, the Courts often look to equalize the standard of living between the parents. In this specific case where there is equal possession of the child, one party may still have to pay child support to the other parent, but this amount wouldn’t be as high (normally) as the guidelines in the Family Code.

While the calculator provides a good starting point, calculating the amount of child support you will pay is often more complicated. We understand that your child’s financial needs are unique. We will work with you to find the right strategy for determining child support.