What Can You Do If You’re Not Receiving Child Support in Texas?

If your child support payments have stopped or never started, you have two main paths to enforce the order: work through the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division, or file a Motion for Enforcement through a private child support attorney. Which one fits your situation depends on how complicated the case is and how quickly you need results.

Child support is a legal duty, not an optional payment. Texas Family Code Chapter 157 gives courts several tools to enforce orders when a parent falls behind, and many parents in Fort Worth and Southlake use these tools to get back on track.

How Is Child Support Calculated and Enforced in Texas?

Texas courts calculate and enforce child support under Family Code Chapter 157. The paying parent’s monthly net resources set the base amount, and if payments stop, the court has specific tools to compel compliance.

• See how child support is calculated in Texas for a full breakdown of the guideline formula.
• Use MBH’s child support calculator for an estimate of your guideline amount.
• If a parent stops paying, the court can pursue income withholding, license suspension, tax refund interception, property liens, or contempt.

What If You Haven’t Received a Payment Yet?

If you have not yet received a payment, consider how your support is paid, which can affect its timing. Some child support payments are made privately, directly from one parent to the other. Other payments are required to go through the State Disbursement Unit.

Payments are more likely to be routed through the state when income is paid through an employer, when wage withholding is ordered, when the Office of the Attorney General has been involved, or when the court wants a formal payment record. This may be the case when compensation includes salary, bonuses, commissions, or multiple income sources, and the court wants clear documentation of what was paid and when.

When payments are processed through the state, delays can sometimes occur. Review your account information and contact the Texas State Disbursement Unit if a payment is late. If payments stop entirely, court enforcement may be necessary. A child support payment not received should never be ignored.

Common Reasons Parents Don’t Receive Payments

There are many reasons a parent may not get child support payments.

• The paying parent may have lost a job or changed income.
• Payments may be delayed when support is processed through the Texas State Disbursement Unit.
• Errors in addresses, bank details, or employer information can stop payments.
• Some parents deliberately stop making payments.

If you have not received a child support payment, it is important to take action quickly. Waiting too long can allow unpaid amounts to grow so large that it becomes difficult to recoup what you are owed.

Legal Remedies for Collecting Child Support in Texas

Texas law gives courts and state agencies several tools to enforce an unpaid child support order. Some require court action; others are carried out by state agencies once legal authority exists.

Remedy	Who Handles It	Typical Trigger
Income withholding order	Court issues; employer / State Disbursement Unit administers	Standard ongoing enforcement
Driver’s or professional license suspension	Office of the Attorney General	After required notice is given
Tax refund or lottery winnings interception	State and federal agencies	Once arrears meet statutory thresholds
Property liens or asset seizure	Court, typically with a private attorney	Significant unpaid arrears
Contempt of court	Judge	Willful nonpayment

These remedies exist to protect children and ensure compliance. For more on what unpaid support can mean for the paying parent, see the legal implications of unpaid child support.

How to Get Help Collecting Unpaid Child Support

You have two main options: work through the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division, or hire a private attorney to pursue enforcement in court. Many parents use both together.

Working with the Attorney General’s office:

• Open or update a case and report missed or partial payments.
• The state reviews payment records and confirms arrears.
• The AG’s office may pursue wage withholding, tax refund interception, or license suspension once statutory requirements are met.
• You must cooperate with the state process and respond to notices as required.

Court-based enforcement is different – the state doesn’t file motions or advocate for you in court. That’s where a private attorney comes in.

Deciding When to Work with a Private Child Support Attorney

Court enforcement – filing motions, presenting evidence, appearing before a judge – must be handled by an attorney, not the state. A private child support attorney can:

• File a Motion for Enforcement
• Request a court determination of arrears
• Seek contempt findings for willful nonpayment
• Pursue asset-based remedies such as property liens
• Coordinate directly with the Office of the Attorney General when both routes are used together

MBH represents parents in both Fort Worth and Southlake on child support enforcement matters.

How MBH Helps Enforce Child Support

MBH attorneys prepare and file enforcement actions, represent clients at hearings, and track arrears until compliance is achieved.

• Prepare and file enforcement actions
• Represent clients at enforcement hearings
• Track arrears and push for compliance
• Collaborate across attorneys rather than assigning one attorney to a case – especially valuable for clients with business ownership or complex finances

Learn more about our Fort Worth enforcement and contempt representation.

Get Help Collecting Child Support with MBH Family Law

If you are asking, “Why haven’t I gotten my child support payment?” it may be time to act. We help parents in Fort Worth and Southlake enforce court orders and move forward with confidence.

Schedule a confidential consultation to speak with a legal team prepared to protect your child’s financial future.