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Determining Child Support in Texas
In Texas, parenthood comes with certain legal responsibilities, such as providing for a child’s financial needs. While most child support awards are determined during divorce proceedings, courts can also order payment when a child’s parents are unmarried. If you live in Texas and have questions or concerns about child support, it is important to contact an experienced child support lawyer who will aggressively represent your child’s interests.
Calculating Child Support
Each child support arrangement is based on what the court deems is in each child’s best interest. To simplify the process, however, Texas lawmakers provided a formula to help courts determine the appropriate amount for a child support award. The calculation requires parents to provide proof of their annual gross income, which includes:
- Earned income;
- Interest and dividends;
- Net rental income;
- Commissions, overtime pay, and tips; and
- Social Security and disability benefits, spousal maintenance, severance pay, and gifts.
The court then divides this total by 12 to determine the noncustodial parent’s average monthly gross income, at which point the judge subtracts certain expenses from the total, such as state and federal income taxes and the cost of the child’s health insurance or medical expenses.
The resulting number constitutes a parent’s monthly net resources, out of which a certain percentage must be paid for the support of the couple’s child. This percentage varies depending on the number of children involved. For example, 20 percent of the non-custodial parent’s monthly net resources will be allocated for the support of a single child. The percentages allocated for additional children are as follows:
- 25 percent for two children;
- 30 percent for three children;
- 35 percent for four children;
- 40 percent for five children; and
- At last 40 percent for six or more children.
Modifications
If one parent believes that a child support award is inappropriate, he or she can ask the court to modify the amount based on an evaluation of a series of predetermined factors, such as the age and needs of the child, the cost of travel required for visitation, and the amount of spousal maintenance being paid.
Child support can have a significant impact on both parents and their children, so if you have concerns about a child support agreement, please contact Powers Kerr & Rashidi, PLLC by calling 512-610-6199 and we will help you schedule an initial consultation with an aggressive Georgetown child support attorney.
Source:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cs/calculator/
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