In Texas, the law provides that the custodial parent is generally owed child support from the non-custodial parent for the support of their child or children. While the legislature has statutory guidelines in place for the courts to use when determining child support amounts, there are factors that can affect the final owed amounts.
Generally, a non-custodial parent will be required to pay the custodial parent 20 percent of his or her monthly net income for the support of one child. If the couple shares two children, the payer will owe 25 percent. For three children, the owed amount will be 30 percent. For each additional child, the support amount will increase by 5 percent.
When calculating child support, the courts will take into consideration the income of both parties as well as the number of children the paying spouse is already supporting pursuant to court orders. Texas does not allow a person who pays child support to be required to pay more than 50 percent of his or her net income in child support payments. Thus, if the person is already supporting other children, the amounts paid for each one will be reduced proportionally to their income.
Child support calculations can be difficult, especially in situations in which the non-custodial parent is under court order to pay support for other children as well. Custodial parents who wish to pursue child support cases against the non-custodial parent of their child or children may benefit from speaking with a family law attorney who can help them determine the amount of child support they should receive. An attorney may help identify the non-custodial parent’s income sources so a correct figure can be determined in the event that the non-custodial parent has more than one source.
Source: State Bar of Texas, “Pro Se Divorce Handbook “, October 18, 2014
