WHEN DOES CHILD SUPPORT END IN TEXAS? (2020 UPDATED)
Affordable Legal Help
WHAT IS CHILD SUPPORT AND HOW CAN ONE DEAL WITH IT? AND WHEN DOES CHILD SUPPORT END IN TEXAS?
It's sad and alarming how every year divorce rates are going up higher in the US. The children involved get caught up in the crossfire. The custodial parents struggle to meet the financial requirements of their children which can be a tough situation to be in. The affected parent regarded fit to have custody, is entitled to child support. This is where Affordable Legal Help comes to your rescue. We are a reliable family legal service and we provide our clients with the child settlement support they need.
Our highly hardworking and committed team of expert family law attorneys will handle all the legal aspects of your child custody case. We offer a variety of unbundled legal services to fulfill the needs of our respected clients.
UNBUNDLED LEGAL SERVICES
It is a method of legal representation in the US in which an attorney assists a client with parts of the case they need help with and the clients manage the other parts on their own to save money. If the client's case qualifies to be unbundled, they are not required to pay for hourly billing by full-service attorneys. Rather unbundled attorneys offer a flat fee to complete tasks. The clients are allowed to represent themselves in family court and state the case for themselves. Unbundled services lower the cost by reducing the amount of time a lawyer spends on a legal matter. It is also known as Limited Scope Representation and Discrete Task Representation.
Unbundled attorneys offer legal coaching to clients planning to represent themselves pro se in the family court. Depending upon the jurisdiction the attorneys may draft legal documents on behalf of the client without appearing formally before a judge. Unbundling is a great way to increase legal access for middle-class families, saves money and gives clients more control over the legal process and protocol.
HOW AFFORDABLE LEGAL HELP CAN ASSIST YOU?
Child support is serious business, something on which the future of your family depends and it should be handled responsibly and professionally. It involves back and forth legal battle and a host of technicalities. Let the team of attorneys at Affordable Legal Help take you through the entire process and ensure that you get the justice you deserve.
Recommended Read: Retroactive Child Support Texas
CHILD SUPPORT LAWS IN TEXAS
NONCUSTODIAL PARENT PAYS CHILD SUPPORT.
In Texas, the amount of time a parent spends with the child will determine who makes child support payments. Most of the time the parent who spends the least time with the child “non-custodial” is the one who has to pay the child support, but there are times where both of the parents are ordered by the court to pay the child support payments. The parent paying the child support is known as the "obligor."
UNDERSTANDING CHILD SUPPORT IN TEXAS
The child support payment is based on the percentage of the income of the noncustodial parent. Parents are free to pay more than the support guideline but they can't pay less. In all cases, the court approves all payments. Sometimes the amount prescribed by the guidelines can be unfair to the child or the parent. When this happens a judge will consider all the factors and may adjust the amount according to the individual circumstances.
Just because the non-custodial parent pays child support it does not mean that the other parent is any less responsible for bearing the cost of raising the child. It is automatically assumed that the custodial parent spends their income directly on the child through the daily cost of raising him/her.
TEXAS CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES
The child support payment is based on a percentage of the income of the non-custodial parent. The child support payments can be calculated by using Texas' child support guidelines. It is simply a schedule of payment. Calculating the child support amount is quite a straightforward procedure, once the non-custodial parent's net monthly income is known.
NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT NEED SUPPORT
Once the net monthly income of the non-custodial parent is established, you need to multiply that number by a percentage of the number of children supported by the paying parent.
- 1 child - multiply the net monthly income by 20%
- 2 children - multiply the net monthly income by 25%
- 3 children - multiply the net monthly income by 30%
- 4 children - multiply the net monthly income by 35%
- 5 children - multiply the net monthly income by 40%
- 6 or more children - not less than 40% of the net monthly income
THE CHILD SUPPORT PROCESS
The child support procedure involves a lot of technical issues which can make it overwhelming for any parent. We at Affordable Legal Help guide you through the legal process and empower you to participate in the process. Because of diversity in families, each child support case is unique. The process of child support payment is broken down in the following steps:
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ESTABLISH PATERNITY
It is the most important part of a child support case. The establishment of legal fatherhood helps fathers to build an emotional and legal relationship with their child or children.
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ESTABLISHMENT OF A COURT ORDER
It defines the amount of medical and dental support a non-custodial parent must pay each month. In Texas, a court order addresses conservatorship (custody), possession, and visitation.
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COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT
It is the responsibility of the Child Support Division to collect and disburse support payments. There are multiple ways in which parents can pay or receive child support.
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ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT
If a parent fails to pay the support obligation, our attorneys will use the tools they possess, asking the court to enforce its order.
Recommended Read: HOW FAR BEHIND ON CHILD SUPPORT BEFORE JAIL IN TEXAS
WHEN DOES CHILD SUPPORT END IN TEXAS?
According to Texas law and jurisdiction child support payments must be made until the child reaches the age of 18 years which is the legal age of adulthood or that the child finishes high school. Although, there are some important exceptions regarding child support in Texas. At the affordablelegalhelp.com our attorneys counsel parents regarding the nuances of stopping child support payments in Texas. We also help the parents notify their Child Support Enforcement Officer of the changes that have been made to the child support payments.
EARLY TERMINATION OF CHILD SUPPORT:
Some situations allow the early termination of child support payment in Texas before the child turns 18. Emancipation from paying child support payments when a child turns 16 or 17 happens when:
- The son or daughter joins the military.
- The child gets married.
- The minor is eligible and petitions the court in order to achieve independence.
In Texas, whenever these conditions are met, the minor is taken as an adult and the parents are free to terminate the child support payments early.
EXCEPTIONS REGARDING CHILD SUPPORT:
Along with laws which allow early termination there are a few exceptions also regarding the child support payments in Texas? There are cases in which child support payments can be made obligatory even after the age of 18 years. If an adult, for example, suffers from any physical and mental disability, child support payments may be forced by the court to be made by the parent who doesn't have the custody of the child.
In such scenarios, in Texas, first of all the court takes in the current and future financial and care giving needs and then decides whether the non-custodial parent will pay the child support or not. Later on, the court decides on the correct time if the child support payments should be ceased or not.
The attorneys at affordablelegalhelp.com specialize in representing clients who face these types of sensitive matters and also provide guidance and counseling to both parties to ensure that the child support payments are done to the rightful partner and no exploitations occur.
PROCEDURE TO STOP CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS:
No matter the situation that the clients face, our lawyers at affordablelegalhelp.com are here to help them settle any disputes that may arise regarding child support payments and to stop them whenever the court decides.
According to Texas laws and regulations, the parents must sign a petition with the Domestic Relations Officer within 45 days and not later than that before they wish to stop their child support payments.
After this, the officer overseeing the Child Support Enforcement reviews the case and makes sure the other parent is informed. In Texas, they have 15 days to make an obligation to the decision taken by the parent paying child support .Along with that, any child support payments which might have been missed, are to be made, even if the child has crossed the age of 18 years, including the interest which has been accrued over the years before the parents becomes free of child support payment obligations.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T PAY CHILD SUPPORT IN TEXAS?
Not paying child support in Texas is taken as a crime. Here are twelve things that can happen if you don't abide by the law and refuse to pay for child support.
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ONE CAN GO TO JAIL FOR AVOIDING TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT:
The state of Texas is very rigid when it comes to child support payment evaders. Parents who avoid paying or fail to pay regular child support payments can face jail time for up to 2 years and are liable to pay thousands of dollars as a fine along with the child support they owe to the other parent.
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ONE’S LICENSE(S) CAN BE SUSPENDED OR REVOKED:
A person can get their license(s) suspended or revoked such as business license, commercial driver license, driver’s license and other license(s) under the Chapter 232 of Texas Family Code if they fail to make child support payments.
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THE COURT CAN PUT A LIEN ON YOUR ASSETS AND PROPERTY:
According to Texas law, liens can be placed against the property you own. Your cars, bank accounts, retirement plans and other assets will remain in lien until the debts of child support payments are cleared.
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YOUR PASSPORT WILL BE CONFISCATED:
The laws and regulations of the state of Texas state that if a parent owes more than 2500$ of child support payment then their passport gets confiscated and they’re not allowed to leave the country.
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YOU MUST PAY AT LEAST A LITTLE AMOUNT:
If you cannot afford to pay the whole amount of child support, the Texas law allows you to pay off little by little in order to avoid any punishment, fine or jail as the court sees your efforts. If you’re a struggling person then letting the child support officer of your situation and allowing them to handle your case also eases your difficulties.
Although child support payment amounts and procedures can be intimidating but by contacting affordablelegalhelp.com and hiring our attorneys to handle your case can assure you that you’re given a fair trial and the child support payment plan that you can afford.