Securing Your Child's Future

Whether a parent is married or single, Texas law requires parents to financially support their children. It is vital for all parties involved in a child support case that child support is calculated properly. The child's needs must be met while also ensuring that both parents are able to financially support the child when they have possession of the child. With extensive experience in establishing, modifying and enforcing child support obligations, child support attorney Chikeersha Puvvada can help you accurately calculate, obtain and collect an appropriate amount of child support.

Child Support FAQs

How is child support calculated?

For an explanation of the basics of calculating child support in Texas, read our article Calculating Child Support.

How long do I have to pay child support?

The court can order child support to be paid until the child is 18 years old or until the child graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. For child support to continue when the child is 18 years old, the child needs to be in an accredited secondary school in a program leading toward a high school diploma. Child support can end early if the child is emancipated by order of a court or through marriage. However, child support can be required indefinitely if the child is disabled.

Can child support be taken out of my paycheck?

Yes. Courts can issue a Wage Withholding Order to your employer. The order will require your employer to take up to 50% of your income to pay your monthly child support obligation. The amount taken out from each paycheck is adjusted based on the how often you are paid. For example, if you're paid every two weeks, your monthly child support payment will be broken down into payments of every two weeks. Courts will issue a Wage Withholding Order unless the parties agree otherwise.

Can I stop paying child support if I lose my job?

If you have a child support order in place, your responsibility to pay child support does not automatically go away if you lose your job. You will need to file a modification suit to change your child support obligation.

Can I stop paying child support if the other parent won't let me see my child?

No. The other parent denying you visitation with your child is not a valid reason for not paying child support.

What can I do if the other parent is refusing to pay court-ordered child support?

You will need to file an enforcement case. For more information on enforcement cases, click here.

Who pays for health insurance for my child?

The parent who can afford private health and dental insurance for a child will be ordered to either get or maintain health and dental insurance for the child. If both parents can afford private health and dental insurance, Courts will usually consider multiple factors when deciding which parent will provide insurance coverage, including cost of the coverage, quality of the coverage and each parent's history of providing coverage. If the parent who is paying child support is also providing insurance coverage, then that parent gets a discount in their child support calculation equal to the monthly premium for the child's insurance. If the parent who is receiving child support is providing the insurance coverage, that parent is reimbursed by the other parent for the monthly premium for the child's insurance. If neither parent can afford private health insurance, then the Court will order the parent who lives with the child to obtain health insurance through either CHIPs or medicaid.

Who pays for health care expenses not covered by health insurance?

Normally, each parent will be responsible for 50% of any healthcare expenses that are not covered by insurance. However, that percentage can be adjusted either by agreement of the parties or the Court.

Visit our FAQ section to learn more.