When parents end their marriage or have a child outside of a relationship, both must provide financial support until the child reaches adulthood. Either parent can request child support services in Texas to establish paternity, locate the child’s other parent or obtain a legal child support order.
Learn more about what to expect from the child support system in Texas.
The child support process
After either parent applies for child support services, the state’s Child Support Division will schedule a child support review process meeting. Both parents attend this session, where a representative from CSD will help them arrive at a fair child support arrangement based on Texas guidelines. When they successfully negotiate a child support agreement the court will enter it as a legal support order.
When the CSRP meeting does not result in an agreement, the agency will schedule a hearing in court. Both parents can present their case to the judge, who will create a child support order based on these details and the Texas child support laws. The court will issue a legally binding order even if one or both parents fails to attend this meeting.
Texas child support calculations
The parent who has more parenting time generally receives child support from the non-custodial parent. Texas uses a percentage of his or her income depending on the number of children to arrive at a fair amount.
Parents can estimate the amount of monthly support they will receive or pay with the state’s child support calculator. They can also ask the judge to make adjustments based on special medical or educational needs.
