Disputes regarding a number of family law issues are not uncommon amongst people in Texas. One in particular that often arises is child support. A large number of parents may not aware of how the state determines how much child support will be paid and what factors are taken into consideration. There are certain basic guidelines that the state uses to make the determination.
If the noncustodial parent has one child, the amount that must be paid will be 20 percent of that parent’s net income. If he or she has two children, the child support amount will be 25 percent of the payer’s net income. The support calculation continues to increase up to five or more children, which comes to 40 percent of the payer’s net income.
Some parents might be unemployed at the time that the court orders child support, but that does not matter. The court will still issue the child support order.
Giving the most accurate current information regarding income is imperative so the order can be viable. In certain cases, a parent will have other children living with him or her in addition to the non-custodial children who must be supported. The guidelines are flexible in such a circumstance. The judge in the case or the Office of the Attorney General must be informed if this is the situation so it can be dealt with accordingly.
Family law involving child support is crafted with the interests of the child in mind. Parents who are ordered to make child support payments need to understand that when they are ordered to pay a certain amount to support the child, the payments must be made. If there are issues with making the payments or a dispute as to how much should be paid, it is possible that child support modifications can be available. In any case, one of the keys is to have assistance from an experienced family law attorney.
Source: texasattorneygeneral.gov, “Handbook for Noncustodial Parents, pages 6-7,” accessed on Jan. 5, 2016