Child Support Overview DIVORCE IS NEVER EASY... BUT IT CAN BE SIMPLIFIED.

Texas Child Support Overview

Calculating and Paying Child Support

In Texas, child support payments are calculated based on a percentage of the paying spouse’s (obligor) net income. Texas child support law does not take into consideration the payee spouse’s (obligee) income or the income of the obligor’s spouse.

The obligor’s income includes, but is not limited to:

All the wages and salaries earned (including tips and overtime),
Self-employment income
Social Security or disability benefits
Worker’s compensation
Retirement benefits
Spousal maintenance (formerly known as alimony)

Social Security taxes, income taxes, union dues, and health care costs are all deducted from the obligor’s income BEFORE calculating child support.

The percentage of the income is calculated from the number of children between the spouses (natural and adopted) and how many other minor or disabled children the obligor has with someone else who he or she is financially supporting.

For example, if the obligor and obligee have one child together, and the obligor has one minor or disabled child from a previous relationship for whom the obligor is paying child support, then the percentage of the obligor’s income that goes to child support is 17.5%.

Many believe that they do not have to pay child support if they are unemployed. However, the court can still order child support based on the current minimum wage as if the obligor was employed.

Do you have questions about child support payment in Texas? Contact us online or call (940) 236-0972 today!

How to Make Child Support Payments in Texas

Child support is most often paid in one of two ways:

The obligor pays the child support themselves
The child support is withheld from the obligor’s check by their employer

If the child support is not withheld, the obligor is responsible for sending the child support each month to either the obligee or the Texas State Disbursement Unit. In most cases, child support in Texas is ordered to be paid through the disbursement unit, which is a clearinghouse that receives the payments, credits them to the child support account, and then sends them on to the receiving party. For both parties, this process creates a record that the support was paid. In addition, if the support is not paid or not paid timely, there is a record of that for subsequent enforcement proceedings.

Learn more about child support payments by calling our Texas divorce attorneys at (940) 236-0972.

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