Child Support in Houston, TX

         Are you looking for a knowledgeable family lawyer in Houston? The Law Office of Judy Ritts represents clients in child support throughout the Houston, TX area.

         The Texas Family Code states that all parents have an obligation to support their children.  The law presumes that the custodial parent (the parent with whom the child primarily lives) provides support for the child by providing food, clothing, shelter, transportation, etc.
        
         The law also presumes that the non-custodial parent will pay both child support and medical child support, usually in the form of health insurance premiums.  The amount of child support is usually determined by a formula set out in the Texas Family Code.

          The calculation begins with “Gross Income,” which includes, but is not limited to, overtime, bonuses, car allowances, etc.  In general, if you receive money, that money is part of your gross income.

         From that amount, certain standardized deductions are made using a tax table generated by the Office of the Attorney General, plus union dues (if any) and the cost of health insurance premiums for the child only.  This calculation results in an amount called “Net Resources.”  Please note that this amount is not “net income.”  The amount of a paycheck (net income) is not considered when calculating child support.

         Child support amounts are determined by multiplying Net Resources by a percentage.  The percentage is based on how many children are involved, both in the current case and other children for whom the person paying has an obligation to support.

         There is no simple way to accurately calculate child support.  Many people think it’s just a percentage of your income.  As you can see, it’s more complicated than that.

         A non-custodial parent is presumed to have an obligation to provide medical child support for the child.  That can be done by directly providing health insurance for the child or by reimbursing the other parent for the insurance provided by that parent.  A Court will generally not require a parent to spend more than nine percent of their income on health insurance for their child.  If neither parent can afford health insurance, there are some state plans that may be available to you.