Fort Worth Child Support Attorneys

Both parents are responsible for supporting their child financially. When parents separate, the non-custodial parent might be ordered by the family court to provide child support to the custodial parent. The court should consider each parent’s income and financial resources when issuing child support orders. Your lawyer can ensure your child support order is fair if you must pay child support.

Child support cases often take less time than other family law matters. This is because Texas follows an objective formula for calculating child support. The cases can take longer if the parent who should pay support is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed to try to minimize the support order. Support modifications can also take longer to resolve, as parents must prove or challenge changed financial circumstances.

If you are involved in a child support case, you should have documentation of your income, other financial resources, and necessary expenses. If you are a custodial parent, you should have your parenting plan and conservatorship order from the family court. Your attorney can advise you if you need additional documents to support your child support case.

In Texas, child support can last until a child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later. Child support can also terminate if a child gets legally married or emancipated from their parents.

Sometimes, child support can last longer, such as when a child has a disability and requires ongoing parental support as an adult. If a parent owes arrears, these can continue past a child’s 18th birthday, as well.

Failing to pay child support is a serious matter, and the Texas Child Support Services division can take action against the parent to induce them to pay. Some actions a parent might face include wage garnishment, suspension of a driver’s license or passport, or even criminal charges if the situation constitutes criminal non-support.

You can pursue support through the Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division at no cost, but the OAG represents the State’s interest in support — not you individually — and does not handle related issues like custody. A private child support attorney advocates for your specific situation, which matters in cases involving self-employment, high or fluctuating income, or disputed net resources.

It can. Significant child support arrears may be reported and appear on credit reports, and enforcement tools such as liens and license or passport suspension can follow. Addressing arrears early helps limit the impact. Learn about our child support enforcement services.

Texas calculates support as a percentage of the paying parent's net monthly income under Texas Family Code § 154.125: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five, and not less than 40% for six or more. Net monthly income starts with gross income, wages, self-employment earnings, dividends, disability or Social Security benefits, divided by 12, then reduced by taxes, union dues, and the cost of the child's health insurance. Courts can deviate from these guideline percentages when a child's best interest requires it.

Cost depends on how contested the case is and whether income is straightforward or complex - self-employment, above-guideline earnings, or disputed net resources typically require more attorney time than a simple case with agreed terms. 

Yes. Texas caps the net monthly income used to calculate guideline support - $11,700 as of September 1, 2025. Support is calculated on income up to that amount unless the receiving parent shows that additional support serves the child's best interest, such as significant medical or educational needs.

Only in limited circumstances. Support ends when a child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later, or if the child marries or is otherwise legally emancipated. Outside of that, support generally can't simply be "canceled" by one parent's request. Ending or changing it requires a formal court process, and any existing arrears remain owed even after the underlying obligation ends.

Yes. Either parent can request a modification when there's been a substantial and material change in circumstances - job loss, a significant income change, or a shift in the custody arrangement, for example. If you're on the receiving end of a modification request, you can contest it, but you'll need documentation supporting your position, and the process can take several months to resolve. Read more about requesting a child support modification in Texas. 

Texas has several enforcement tools once an order is in place, including wage withholding, driver's license or passport suspension, liens on property, and in serious cases, criminal charges for non-support. You can pursue enforcement through the Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division or through a private attorney. This matters especially in cases involving self-employment income or disputed net resources that the standard OAG process may not fully account for.

You can file through the Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division at no cost, or as part of a divorce or custody case through a private attorney. Filing typically requires establishing paternity first if the parents weren't married, along with documentation of both parents' income and the child's expenses. Cases with straightforward income generally resolve faster than those involving self-employment or disputed earnings.

Self-employment and fluctuating income complicate the standard calculation because "net resources" has to be reconstructed from tax returns, bank records, and business financials rather than a simple paycheck. Courts are cautious about voluntary underemployment used to reduce support and may impute income based on earning potential if they suspect a parent is minimizing what they report. These cases often benefit from an attorney experienced in tracing complex or disputed income.

Yes. Under Texas law, an income-withholding order for child support generally cannot require an employer to withhold more than 50% of your disposable earnings. Federal law also places limits on child support garnishment, but Texas law provides a 50% maximum for income withholding. The amount actually withheld will depend on your child support obligation, including any amounts ordered toward past-due support. 

In nearly every case, yes. Even when both parents agree on terms, child support orders are legally binding and shape your finances for years. An attorney makes sure the numbers are calculated correctly, your rights are protected if circumstances change later, and the order actually holds up to enforcement. The value is even higher in cases involving self-employment or fluctuating income, high earners, disputed net resources, interstate jurisdiction issues, or ongoing conflict between parents, where the standard process alone often isn't enough to protect what's at stake. While the Texas Attorney General's office can process a support case, it represents the state's interest, not yours individually - a private attorney is the one advocating specifically for you.

Avoid volunteering information beyond what's asked, making payment promises you can't guarantee, or focusing on conflict with the other parent. Courts base decisions on the child's needs and each parent's documented financial resources, not personal disputes. Coming prepared with accurate income and expense documentation matters far more than anything said in the moment. An attorney can help you prepare for what to expect specifically in your hearing.

Call 817-900-8330 or request a consultation online. We'll review your situation and connect you with the attorney best suited to your case.