Child Support 101
In the state of Texas, the parent who has custody of a child or the children has a right to get child support payments from the noncustodial parent for shelter, food, clothing, medical care and more. Child support is required regardless of whether a child’s parents were ever married, though if the parents weren’t married when the child was born, paternity does need to be established.
It is important to note that child support can be paid to whoever has custody of the child, and that this may include grandparents or relatives. If you are in need of legal representation to ensure that you receive the appropriate child support payment, contact the Texas family law attorneys at the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC.
We are a compassionate family law practice with extensive experience in representing parents seeking guidance on child support issues, such as amount and length of payments. The legislature has guidelines, such as net income and number of children, for determining the amount of child support a parent is required to pay, but judges may also use their discretion. Typically, courts look for what is in the child’s best interest, such as a child’s needs, each parent’s financial resources, daycare expenses, educational expenses and medical expenses.
As for length, child support generally continues until one of the following: (1) a child graduates from high school or reaches the age of 18, (2) a child marries, (3) a child is legally declared an adult (emancipated) or (4) a child is disabled, however, a court may order that financial support continue indefinitely.
At The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, we can help you with establishing paternity, modifying an existing child support order, enforcing current child support obligations and calculating your family’s income to make sure that child support payments are fair.
Call (281) 810-9760 contact us online to speak with our Texas family law attorney
