Tarrant County Child Support Attorneys

All parents have a legal duty to provide financial support for their child, and this does not change when parents get divorced or separate. Texas law requires the family court to issue orders for child support pursuant to the guidelines set forth in the Texas Family Code. Child support consists of regular payments made from one parent to the other until the child reaches 18 years of age or graduates high school whichever is later, until the child is emancipated, or until the child dies.

Determining the Amount of Child Support

The amount of child support is based on how much income the parent paying the support has on a monthly basis minus very specific deductions. The Court will consider salary and wages, commission, bonuses, tips, and other sources of income. The guidelines cap the amount of monthly child support at a set income level. Child support will not apply above the cap. The Court may only order above-guideline child support based on the proven needs of the child. The parent paying child support is also required to pay health and dental insurance premiums for the child as additional child support. Any expenses not covered by insurance are split 50/50 between the parties. When a child is disabled, child support may continue indefinitely. Usually the possessory conservator will pay child support to the primary conservator.

Child support may be modified based on a material and substantial change which usually means an increase or decrease in the paying parent’s income, a change in the cost of health or vision insurance, or the birth of additional children.

Child Support Enforcement

If the party ordered to pay child support does not make the payments, a Motion to Enforce may be brought by the party receiving child support. If the Court finds, after a hearing, that the party ordered to pay child support failed to pay support under the terms of the Order, the Court may impose very serious remedies such as ordering the payment of back child support, awarding attorney’s fees, and in some instances imposing jail time.

Learn How an Experienced Hurst Child Support Attorney Can Help

If you need assistance enforcing an existing child support order or are facing a child support case, the child support lawyers at Hoppes Law Firm, PLLC have extensive experience resolving these matters favorably. We serve the areas of Hurst, Bedford, Colleyville, Keller, North Richland Hills, Southlake, Fort Worth, Arlington, and Richland Hills in Texas, and we look forward to serving your legal needs. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us online or call us at 817-283-3999 today.