Find Personalized Guidance From South Texas’s Dedicated Child Support Attorney
When parents separate or divorce, concerns about their child’s future often take priority. You may wonder how your children will access the money they need or what happens when life circumstances change. These questions weigh heavily on families as their children’s well-being hangs in the balance.
Allison Strauss, Attorney at Law, PLLC, has spent nearly two decades guiding families in South Texas through the complexities of child support laws. From her Kingsville office, she works to find practical answers that will serve your children’s best interests while respecting your financial realities.
How Texas Calculates Child Support
When calculating child support, Texas courts begin by considering the paying parent’s income and applying a formula based on the number of children involved. This formula generally takes 20% of the paying parent’s net income for one child, 25% for two children, 30% for three and so on, up to a maximum of 40% for five or more.
These guidelines serve as a starting point for the child support formula, but judges also consider other factors, such as:
- Both parents’ income sources: Wages, overtime, bonuses and even unemployment benefits all count toward the calculation.
- Other children: Support may decrease if the paying parent legally supports children from other relationships.
- Health care costs: The actual cost of the children’s health insurance premiums reduces the paying parent’s net income.
- Special needs: These include support for therapy, medical equipment or educational services for children with disabilities.
- Parenting time: The amount of time each parent spends with the children also influences payments.
After reviewing these factors, the judge determines the final child support amount that serves the best interests of your children while remaining fair to both parents.
No More Guesswork: Your Child Support Questions Answered
Allison Strauss believes that informed parents make better decisions for their families. That is why she takes time to explain the legal process of determining child support as clearly as possible, ensuring you understand your rights and obligations.
When and why can child support orders be modified?
Child support orders in Texas are not set in stone. The court allows modifications when significant changes affect either parent or their children. Here are the main situations that may qualify for child support modifications:
- A significant increase or decrease in either parent’s income
- Additional children born to or adopted by the paying parent
- New or increased health care costs for the child
- Significant changes in primary custody arrangements
- Development of special educational or medical requirements
- It has been three years since the last order
The parent seeking the modification must file a petition with the same court that issued the first order. They also need to prove that the proposed changes serve their child’s best interests.
What legal options are available if a parent isn’t paying child support?
Texas takes child support enforcement seriously and offers tools designed to make sure your children get the financial support they need. The court can order automatic deductions from the paying parent’s paycheck, intercept federal tax refunds or place liens on property. It can even suspend driver’s licenses, professional licenses and passports of parents who fall far behind on payments.
Are there any exceptions to typical child support calculations?
Child support is typically determined by factoring each parent’s income and custody time. Ultimately, support should take into account the particular needs of the children. Exceptions to typical calculations can be related to disability, medical needs, educational considerations and extracurricular activities.
Tired Of Broken Promises? Work With An Experienced Child Support Attorney In Kingsville.
If you are dealing with unpaid child support or amounts that no longer match your family’s needs, you need a trusted family law attorney by your side. Contact Allison Strauss today to schedule your first consultation. You can call her at 361-516-0034 or fill out this online form to discuss your case.