Texas Child Support: Guidelines, Calculator, Payments and Modifications
How Texas child support works under Family Code Chapter 154, including net resources, guideline percentages, multiple households, the Attorney General calculator, payments, modifications, medical support, and court-approved deviations.
The answer
Last verified: · Checked against the primary authorities linked below.
Primary sources
- Texas Family Code § 154.062 — net resources ↗
- Texas Family Code § 154.125 — guideline percentages ↗
- Texas Family Code § 154.123 — deviation factors ↗
- Texas Attorney General — Child Support ↗
- Texas Attorney General — Get Started and Child Support Calculator ↗
- Texas Attorney General — How to Pay Child Support ↗
- Texas Attorney General — Modify Child Support ↗
Key Takeaways
- • Texas child support is governed principally by Family Code Chapter 154, which uses statutory guidelines rather than a single flat statewide payment amount.
- • The guideline calculation begins with the obligor's net resources as defined by statute and then applies the guideline framework based on the number of children before the court and other statutory circumstances.
- • For qualifying net resources, the standard guideline schedule is 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five; for six or more children the statute requires an amount not less than the amount for five children. Low-income and multiple-household rules can change the calculation.
- • The Texas Attorney General provides official child-support services for estimating support, applying for services, making and receiving payments, reviewing case information, and requesting a modification review.
- • The court may consider statutory factors and order an amount that varies from the guideline result when application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate under the circumstances.
Texas child support is often discussed as a percentage of income, but the actual statute is more detailed. Chapter 154 defines net resources, sets the guideline framework, addresses lower-income cases and multiple households, and lists factors that can support a deviation.
Searches for Texas child support also often involve practical next steps: estimating a payment, starting a case, checking a case, making or receiving payments, or asking whether an existing order can be changed. Those functions are handled through the Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division and the courts.
Support orders may also address medical and dental support and other obligations. A reliable estimate therefore starts with the current statute and the facts in the case rather than gross pay alone, and an online calculator remains only an estimate until an amount is set or approved through the legal process.
The calculation starts with statutory net resources
Section 154.062 defines net resources for child-support purposes and identifies categories of resources and statutory deductions. Gross salary by itself is therefore not the final guideline base.
Chapter 154 supplies the guideline framework
Sections 154.121 through 154.130 contain the principal guideline rules. Section 154.125 applies the standard schedule to qualifying net monthly resources: 20% for one child before the court, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five. For six or more children, the statute says the amount may not be less than the amount for five children. Section 154.125 also provides a lower-income schedule, while Sections 154.128 and 154.129 address children in more than one household.
Use the Attorney General calculator as an estimate, not a court order
The Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division provides an official calculator to estimate support from a single source of income. The agency warns that the actual amount set or approved through the legal process may differ, so the calculator is best used as a planning tool rather than a substitute for the operative order.
Payments, case access and child-support services
The Attorney General provides the statewide practical service layer for many child-support cases. Parents can use its child-support portal to learn how to apply for services, review case information, and find payment and receipt options. Official payment methods include online and phone payments, mail, cash, wage withholding, and bank autodraft.
An existing order does not change automatically when income changes
A change in income, employment, family circumstances, or medical coverage does not by itself rewrite a child-support order. The Attorney General provides a modification-review process for eligible cases, and an informal agreement between parents does not replace the operative court-ordered amount.
The guideline result is presumptive, not mechanically absolute
Section 154.122 creates a rebuttable presumption that guideline support is reasonable and in the child's best interest. Section 154.123 lists additional factors a court may consider when deciding whether application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate.
Support and possession are separate obligations
Texas orders treat child support and possession or access as separate duties. A dispute over parenting time does not by itself erase a support obligation, and failure to pay support does not by itself authorize denial of court-ordered possession or access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Texas child support based on gross income?
Not directly. Chapter 154 uses statutory net resources, which are calculated under Section 154.062 before the guideline framework is applied.
What percentage is child support in Texas?
For the standard guideline schedule and qualifying net resources, the percentages are 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five. For six or more children, Section 154.125 requires an amount not less than the amount for five children. Lower-income and multiple-household rules can produce different results, and a court may deviate when the statute permits.
Does Texas have an official child support calculator?
Yes. The Texas Office of the Attorney General provides a child-support calculator. It is an estimate for planning purposes; the amount set or approved through the legal process can differ.
How do I pay Texas child support?
The Texas Attorney General lists official payment options including online or phone payment, mail, cash, wage withholding, and bank autodraft. Use the OAG payment page for the current methods and instructions tied to your case.
Can Texas child support be modified if income changes?
Possibly, but the ordered amount does not change automatically. An eligible case can be reviewed for modification, and an informal agreement between parents does not change the court-ordered amount.
Can a Texas judge order a different amount than the guidelines?
Yes. The guidelines are presumptively reasonable, but Section 154.123 lists factors the court may consider in deciding whether a different amount is appropriate.
Does missing visitation cancel child support?
No. Texas law treats support and possession as separate obligations. Enforcement of one should not be handled by unilaterally withholding the other.