Texas Child Support Laws

In the state of Texas, a person who is in the obligation of paying child support is called the “obligor.” On the other side of the spectrum, the “obligee” is the person that is entitled to receive child support. In most cases, the obligee is the person with primary custody of the child. The child usually resides with the obligee, while their expenses are also covered by the obligee.

The obligor is usually the person that doesn’t have primary possession of the children. Furthermore, the obligor may or may not have custody or even access to the children. Oftentimes, the term used to refer to child support issues is “guidelines.” This term is used to refer to the guidelines that are set forth in the state of Texas. Additionally, these guidelines are set for courts to use during the calculation process of the amount of child support owed.

Child Support Duration in Texas

Texas law states that the court “may order either or both parents to support a child” until the following scenarios:

• The child turns 18 years old
• The child graduates from high school (Whichever one comes later)
• If the child is emancipated by marriage
• If the child’s disabilities are removed
• Or if the child dies

However, if the courts deem that the child is disabled (either physically or mentally), the child may be eligible to receive support indefinitely.

Child Support Calculation

When calculating child support, the state’s child support guidelines may be applied. These guidelines set a basic minimum amount for child support, but the courts can and will, at times deviate from these guidelines. There are numerous factors to take into account when calculating the amount of child support. Guidelines are applied at a net monthly income. After the determination of net monthly income, the courts can apply one of two standards:

• The first of these standards apply if an obligor’s net income falls under than $7,500.00
• The second standard is applied in the instance that the net monthly income is greater than $7,000.00

Obviously, there are many more things to look over, and this is only an overview of child support. If you wish to learn more about our child support services, you should definitely contact The Fetty Firm, PC. You can contact us by calling (214) 546-5746. Additionally, you can always visit our website to learn more about child support in Texas.