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Helping Parents Arrange For Financial Support Of Their Children
After ending a relationship with your child's other parent, one of the most important legal you will need to address is child support. After all, both parents are expected to provide the financial support necessary for housing, clothing, food, medical care, and other costs of raising a child in Texas.
During your child support case, you might have questions about which parent will receive child support, how much the payments will be, and how to request modifications. You can depend on the caring legal team at Kamal Law Firm, PLLC, to provide the answers you need during your case, so call us to with a skilled child support lawyer in Houston, TX.
Who Pays Child Support In Texas?
If you're unsure whether you'll pay or receive child support, the answer depends on your child arrangements. If your child lives with you, the other parent must send you child support payments to help cover the costs of housing, healthcare, childcare food, and more. So, if you're the non-custodial parent, you'll be required to pay child support, even if you have frequent visitation with your child.
In most Texas child support cases, non-custodial parents must continue sending payments until the child graduates from high school or turns 18, whichever milestone occurs later. However, there are some instances where the payments must continue beyond this, such as if the child has severe disabilities requiring special care. Additionally, if the payments are overdue, the parent must continue paying until caught up, even if the child is legally an adult by that time.
How Much Will The Payments Be?
Whether you'll be paying or receiving child support, you're likely curious about the amount to expect once the payments begin. Your Houston child support attorney can give you an estimate based on a few factors that the judge will consider. The main factor is the noncustodial parent's income since the amount of money the judge orders them to pay will be a percentage of their net resources. Note that the judge will consider more than the parent's regular paycheck when calculating child support. They will also add up any other sources of income, such as bonuses, tips, commissions, net rental income, capital gains, dividends and more.
After adding up these sources of income, the judge will consider the number of children in the child support case. When there is one child to support, the parent must pay 20 percent of their income. This rises to 25 percent for two children, 30 percent for three children, and 35 percent for four children. When a noncustodial parent must support five or more children, they will typically be ordered to pay 40 percent of their total income.
Keep in mind that these are just guidelines, so the total amount could vary depending on the specific details your case. For instance, the amount could increase if your child's expenses are higher than average due to unique medical or educational needs. The total may also change depending on which parent pays for the child's health insurance. Your child support lawyer will tell you what to expect based on the income and expenses the will consider in your case.
What If You Need To Modify Child Support?
If you need to request a change to the child support order, you must follow the process set forth by the Texas court system. This states that either parent can ask to child support, but only if it has been at least three years since the original order or if has been a significant change in circumstances.
If a Texas judge issued the order than three years ago, you can request to have the monthly payments increased or decreased by at least 20 percent or $100. So, if you're the custodial and want to request an increase after three years, the amount you ask for must be at least $100 or 20 percent higher than the original.
Another option is to show that there has been a significant change in circumstances for you, your child, or the other. You can do this anytime, but you must prove that a recent change would make the original amount unreasonable. For, if you're the non-custodial parent and you lost your job or were demoted at work, you can ask for the amount you pay to be lowered because you can no longer afford the initial amount.
On the other hand, if you're the custodial parent, you can request an increase in child support if the other parent's income has significantly increased or the child's medical expenses have become costlier. Either way, your Houston, Texas child support lawyer can advise you on the process of modifying the child support order.
Should You Hire A Child Support Attorney In Houston, TX?
Whether you're the custodial or noncustodial parent, child support significantly impacts your finances. If you're concerned about the amounts involved, having a skilled lawyer can provide peace of mind. At Kamal Law Firm, PLLC, we support parents in child matters, ensuring your child receives financial support from both parents. Contact us for assistance with agreements, modifications, or enforcement of child support orders.