Our Goal is to guide you through the legal system and help you during this confusing time. When we discuss child support with our clients, who are dealing with a child custody case, one of the most important issues is to calculate the child support obligation. Texas sets forth guidelines in order to determine the proper amount of child support.
How much child support should be paid?
There are situations where a deviation from guideline child support is in the best interest of the child. For example, if a child requires special medical supervision, medical care or hospitalization then child support may need to deviate from the guidelines.
Another situation where a deviation from child support guidelines is required is when there is a child or children from a marriage or relationship with another person that is not involved with the child that is before the court. This situation arises when an obligor for child support has another child, who is not currently before the court, that he or she is obligated to support. These days it is common for children to live in separate households.
Numerous factors might affect the amount of child support a person is obligated to pay. Some of these include the following:
- What happens if the obligor is self-employed?
- What happens if the obligor of child support is unemployed?
- What happens if the obligor of child support is imprisoned?
- What happens if the obligor of child support does not want possession, access, or visitation with the child?
- Does the availability of health insurance affect the child support obligation?
- What if we are splitting custody 50/50?
Although all of these questions arise during a child support determination, the guidelines are as follows:
- child is 20% of the obligors net resources
- children are 25% of the obligors net resources
- children are 30% of the obligors net resources
- children are 35% of the obligors net resources
These guidelines do not include the cost of insurance. Typically both parents are ordered to provide medical support for the child, and the obligor of child support is required to pay for medical insurance at a reasonable cost. Note, reasonable cost is considered to be less than 9% of the obligor’s net resources.
As discussed above, child support does not have to be set at the guidelines set forth in the Texas Family Code. The child support obligation may deviate from the guidelines if it is in the best interest of the child. This is a very important issue to remember. If you start paying an amount of support for the benefit of the child, you may be required to keep paying that amount.
Do you have questions about child support?
If you are dealing with a child support issue, schedule a consultation with an experienced child support lawyer. Call us at 512-843-1144.
Morgan & Swayze Attorneys at Law represent parties for child support in Williamson County, including Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Hutto, Taylor and Austin. The following zip codes are served: 75409, 78608, 78611, 78613, 78615, 75032, 78621, 78620, 97116, 78665, 78626, 78633, 78628, 78627, 78634, 78642, 78641, 78646, 78645, 79836, 78653, 78660, 76511, 78664, 78663, 78669, 76526, 78674, 76527, 78673, 76530, 64093, 77327, 76537, 78681, 78947, 78704, 76543, 78266, 76857, 76549, 78717, 76567, 89801, 78726, 76573, 76577, 78728, 78727, 76574, 78730, 77853, 78729, 76578, 78732, 78734,l 78737, 47122, 78745, 78748, 78750, 77388, 78759, 78605.