Texas Child Support Laws

Texas child support law holds both parents equally responsible for child care.

The law will enforce payments by reporting the non-custodial parent to the credit bureau, having their license suspended, thrown in jail, etc. If a non-custodial parent refuses to pay child support, then the custodial parent can file suite and have the law enforce those actions.

Child Support Wage Garnishments
Unlike most states in America, Texas law requires all child support payments to be garnished from the non-custodial parent’s paycheck. Garnishment of the non-custodial parent’s earnings will guarantee that all payments are being made.

Texas Child Support Medical Insurance
Most states in America allow either or both parents to provide the child with medical coverage. Texas child support law requires that the non-custodial parent provides the medical coverage for the child. The non-custodial parent would have to purchase a medical plan through their employment. If coverage is unavailable through the non-custodial parent’s employment, then the custodial parent would provide the coverage.

The non-custodial parent would still be responsible for paying the coverage even if it is covered by the custodial parent’s employment. If neither parent’s employment carries no medical plan, then the court would order the non-custodial parent to pay an additional amount to cover the medical expenses. Medical coverage is not calculated within the child support plan, it is an addition that must be provided by the non-custodial parent.

How Child Support is Determined
Child support is determined by the obligor’s net income and the number of children they have. For example, if the obligor has one child, 20% of his or her net income would be deducted. Twenty five percent is deducted if the obligor has two children. If the obligor has three children, then 30% of the net income is deducted. Four or five children, and the deductions would be 35% and 40% of the net income. Six children or more, and the obligor would pay over 40%.

Texas Child Support Visitations
Non-custodial parents are allowed to visit their children at any time under the agreement with the custodial parent. If both parents disagree on visitations, and unable to come to an agreement, then the court will issue the standard schedule. The custodial parent would have to allow the non-custodial parent four to six weeks in the summer, ever other weekends, and alternating holidays.

Lottery Winnings
Any lottery winnings collected by a non-custodial parent will be confiscated if they fail to pay child support.

Federal Income Tax Refund Checks
When tax season arrives and the non-custodial parent has not paid their child support, Texas state will intercept all tax refund checks.

Licenses
Any drivers, professional, hunting or fishing licenses can be suspended if the non-custodial parent refuses to pay child support.

Contempt
All non-custodial parents who avoid paying child support will be in contempt of court. Child support laws states that all non-custodial parents who are in contempt of court will face up to six months in prison. It is very important for non-custodial parents to pay child support in order to prevent from having theses actions taken against them.

End of Child Support
Child support obligations end when the child reaches the age of 18 or when they graduate from high school, whichever occurs later. If the child is emancipated or they marry, then that will also end the child support obligations.

For more information on Texas child support laws.
Get Your Child Support
Harris County Child Support
Texas Attorney General
Texas Child Support Law

Here is where you can write comments about the Texas Child Support System. Has it worked in your favor or has it not. Share your experiences with others, and see how in common you are with one another. You may also share other experiences related to child support laws.

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

PLEASE HELP THE SINGLE PARENTS... 
I'm a custodial parent and I must say that the laws in Texas are more favorable to a parent that is on government assist vs. a single mom that has to take ...

Where is the Support for the Fathers? 
I recently married my husband knowing about his past child support issues. He has a son from his ex. Every time we go get him for visitation, he is dirty,...

Non Custodial Father Released From Prison 
My son's father owes at least 50,000 in arrears and hasn't paid since 2001. Once I would find out where my son's father was working and call the AG's office ...

Grandmother 
I think the child support check should be based on what a person can afford. How is one to live, pay rent, make a car payment pay bills etc. If one fourth ...

Can't Anyone Help Us? 
Six years ago, before we met, my husband dated this woman. He had a wonderful job, making a great salary. However, he was desperate. In two months time ...

child support collection 
I live in Oklahoma and my ex lives in Texas and I would like to know how I can collect my child support from him since he lives in Texas.

Child Support and Probation 
I have a friend and he is telling me he is on probation for non payment of child support. He has served his time and he has a probation officer but now ...

Non-custodial Parent's Wife 
The Court did not acknowledge that the child had lived with her father (even though he was the non-custodial Parent on paper) for most of her childhood....

Texas Attorney General are anti-male 
They need to be doing it better. After all, guess were the former Attorney General is? In Prison! They are very anti-male and biased. I was originally ...

Medical Insurance Premium  
I am the custodial parent and am remarried. My new husband and I decided to add my daughters to the medical insurance plan that his employer provided due ...

AG is a Joke!! 
All the attorney general cares about is collecting money. They do not care if you get to see your child or not..only if you pay. That is why if you don'...

Child Support = Poor Service 
I curently pay child support and I take full responsibility for the fact that I have fallen behind a little regarding payments. I recently received a credit ...

"Fathers Grandfathers" rights dont mean nothing in TEXAS? 
I am a father of 3 boys, I raised two and their mother
raised one. The youngest is 19 years old. I am at this time
going to court for back child support ...

Child Support What A Fluke!!!! 
My son is 14 yrs old. For the last 10 yrs it has been hell on wheels for him. My ex turned to drugs, alcohol and sex abuse of minors. He is over $15,000....

Married Filing Jointly 
My husband fell behind on his child support. He left a $15.00 per hour job to work closer to home, only it was a $7.00 per hour job. Not having the money ...

What a Joke 
I have not received payments for over a YEAR and My ex is going to court tomorrow. A year! He has lived at the same address with the same phone number....

Glopez 
My ex owes about ten thousand in back child support. He pays nothing at all. He gets away with this because his fiance is the property manager of the apartments ...

Child Support.....Ehhh 
Child support is for women who don't want to work and leech off there exs because they were mad. Its not just the mans fault that the woman got pregnant ...

Texas Chooses not to Enforce Child Support Orders 
My wife's ex-husband chooses not to pay child support regularly on time. He owns his business, and has set his payroll at a low amount to minimize his ...

Denial of Visitation  Not rated yet
My Ex and I divorced back in 1997, since then I have been denied my visitation rights by her despite court ordered visitation. We have gone back and forth ...

DISAGREE WITH CHILD SUPPORT LAWS  Not rated yet
MY HUSBAND OWES BACK CHILD SUPPORT, HIS DAUGHTER FROM A PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP ALREADY TURNED 18 AND FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL. EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS LIVING WITH ...

Collecting Child Support from State to State  Not rated yet
I am having the same problem as another blog on this site regarding the comment "I live in Oklahoma and my ex lives in Texas and I would like to know how ...

Divorced over 29 years.  Not rated yet
I was a divorced mother of one working two jobs to make ends meet and the court system never did anything to help me obtain the $50.00 a week that my ex ...

It's a Joke  Not rated yet
I called the office of the Attorney general and I get told different things by everybody I speak to. Not to mention, the OAG has screwed up my case. One ...

No support for my kids  Not rated yet
I don't think very highly of Texas Child Support laws and/or its services AT ALL!!! The state has done NOTHING to penalize my children's father, who currently ...

Judgement Day  Not rated yet
Like some of your other readers comments, I too have fallen to the Attorney Generals pitfalls of inconsistencies, attention to details, and "whatever" attitudes....

Child Support is FUll of...   Not rated yet
The child support system is not working for me the non-custodial parent. I have 6 children with them being covered on four separate cases. I have repeatedly ...

Father of Six  Not rated yet
Unbeknown by most, the states are paid a generous % of monies to collect on child support. The more child support they collect, the more money the Federal ...

Paying Child Support for two Children who live with us!!!!  Not rated yet
Four years ago my two stepchildren decided to live with us. We live in California and my husband made an agreement with his ex to give her a certain amount ...

Kerrie Crawford/Custodial Parent  Not rated yet
I was recently informed by my local Child support office that my divorce decree is written to say that "when any child turns 18 then all support stops"...

Case by Case  Not rated yet
I know that there are dads out there that don't want to support or spend time with their children, but not all are like this. Frankly, I am tired of the ...

The System Only Helps The Woman.  Not rated yet
I have a 16 y/o son, I also have joint custody of him, to where I share all the same rights as his mother except he lives with her. Well about 8 years ...

Custodial parent--Barbara Casebolt  Not rated yet
It has been very hard for me to get the child support awarded for my children from the very beginning. I am thankful that the Attorney General, Greg Abbott ...