Bryan-College Station Family Law Attorneys Discuss How Child Support Is Calculated in Texas

Texas, like every other state, has child support guidelines that govern how much child support a noncustodial parent must pay. In Texas, child support is calculated by multiplying the paying parent's net income by a percentage that is set in the guidelines. Bryan-College Station family law attorneys at the Peterson Law Group can help you determine how child support is calculated in your particular case.

Calculate Net Income

A calculation of net income begins with the parent's gross income, which includes salary, commissions, overtime pay, tips, bonuses, interest, dividends, rental income, royalty income, trust income, retirement income, disability income, and any other source of funds. It even includes prizes, gifts, and alimony from a previous marriage. It's best to calculate gross income as an annual figure. Once the figure for gross income is set, subtract the following (also computed annually):

•  Social Security taxes or, if the paying parent doesn't pay Social Security taxes, any mandatory retirement plan contributions.
• Federal income tax (based on the tax rate for a single person claiming one exemption).
• Union dues.
• Health insurance premiums and other medical expenses for the child(ren) if the court ordered the paying parent to pay these expenses.

The resulting figure is the parent's annual net income. Divide the net income by 12 to establish monthly net income.

Multiply by Percentage Based on Number of Children

If the noncustodial parent's net monthly income is less than $7,500, multiply that number by a percentage that's determined by how many children the paying parent is supporting:

• 1 child = multiply the monthly net income by 20%
• 2 children = multiply the monthly net income by 25%
• 3 children = multiply the monthly net income by 30%
• 4 children = multiply the monthly net income by 35%
• 5 children = multiply the monthly net income by 40%
• For 6 or more children, the amount must be at least the same as for five children.

Calculation Examples

For example, a support calculation for a parent with $3,000 net monthly income and two children would be as follows:

$3,000 (net monthly income) x .25 (25% for two children) = $750 per month in child support.

A support calculation for a parent with $3,000 net monthly income and six children would be as follows:

$3,000 (net monthly income) x .40 (40% for six children) = $1,200 per month in child support.

 These guidelines assume that all of the children are living primarily with one parent. Special rules apply when parents have joint physical custody or split custody, or when children who are not subject to the custody order are living with one of the parents.

Contact Bryan-College Station Family Law Attorneys

The child support attorneys of the Peterson Law Group can advise you about the best ways to deal with any complications that your case might present such as joint or split custody, difficulty of calculating net resources, high monthly income in excess of $7500, or anticipated expenses related to special needs of the child to be supported.

If you have questions regarding family law or divorce issues in the Bryan-College Station or Conroe areas of Texas, contact the Peterson Law Group at (979) 703- 7014 to schedule an initial consultation.  You can also fill out our online contact form and we will get back with you quickly about setting an appointment.