Child Support Attorney In Houston
Child Support Lawyers In Houston
During a divorce one of the major issues that have to be resolved is child support. The law requires both parents to continue caring for the child’s needs and well-being before and after the divorce is completed. However, sometimes a parent may not be willing to contribute their fair share of a child’s expenses during and after divorce. A child support attorney in Houston can help you ensure that the other parent contributes their fair share to cover expenses, and ensure that the other parent spends time with your child.
How Your Child Support Lawyer Can Help
A child support attorney in Houston can help a custodial parent to initiate certain child support enforcement actions if a non-custodial parent does not pay child support. The lawyer can file an enforcement lawsuit to ensure that your child’s needs are met. Your lawyer can also help you file for a modification of child support if the amount ordered by a court is more than you can afford. If a court does not consider the entirety of your situation when issuing child custody orders, your lawyer can help you challenge that order. Your attorney can investigate your situation to determine the child support arrangements that is best for you and your children.
Texas Child Support Guidelines
Child support guidelines make it possible for you and your lawyer to calculate an estimate of the amount you need to pay for child support. There is a limit to how much a parent can pay for child support in Texas. But a parent may have to pay more in the following situations:
- To maintain the lifestyle a child enjoyed during the marriage
- The child has a disability that costs a lot of money to manage
- The child needs psychological counseling for emotional trauma suffered because of the divorce
If the above factors do not apply to your marriage, then you can use the child support guidelines to calculate what you have to pay. The guidelines state that a non custodial parent needs to pay 20 percent of their net income if there is only one child in the marriage. The amount rises to 25 percent for two children, 30 percent for three, 35 percent for four children, and at-least 40 percent for five or more children. To calculate net income you must first add up all your income from various sources and then deduct taxes and the cost of health insurance for the child.
Who Pays Child Support?
In Texas, both parents are required to support the child but only one parent is required to pay child support. The parent that has custody is often required to support the child through housing, utilities and other basic needs. On the other hand, the non-custodial parent pays child support because the non-custodial parent spends the least amount of physical custody time. Both parents can work together with a lawyer to reach an outcome that benefits the child and the parents. Remember that the child’s best interests are considered more important than the benefits each divorcing spouses gets after divorce. Talk to a knowledgeable child support attorney in Houston to guide you through child support legal issues.