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How Are Child Support Payments Calculated in Texas?

 Posted on May 24, 2022 in Child Support

North Texas Child Support LawyerWhen you are the parent with primary custody of your child, you are likely entitled to receive child support payments from the noncustodial parent. Or, more accurately, your child is entitled to be financially supported by both parents no matter what. Calculating the amount of child support the noncustodial parent must pay can be a bit tricky, as there are a lot of variables in the equation. It will depend on the amount and type of income the payor receives and the number of children they have, among other factors. It can be difficult to predict the exact amount of child support you and your child will receive, but an attorney may be able to help you arrive at a good estimate. 

Calculating Monthly Income

Perhaps the most important factor affecting the amount of child support payments is the payor’s monthly income. If the payor’s net income is under $9,200 per month, they could be ordered to pay between 20% if they have one child and over 40% if they have more than six children. For purposes of calculating child support, monthly income includes: 

  • Wages - This includes any money the parent earns by working. It encompasses money earned by self-employment or a business they own, tips, paychecks, overtime, commissions, and bonuses. Income earned by a new spouse does not count.

  • Certain benefits - This includes social security and retirement benefits or pension payments, disability, workers’ compensation, or unemployment. However, it does not include federal assistance.

  • Gifts or winnings - Any gifts or winnings, such as from gambling, can be counted. 

  • Passive income - This includes capital gains, money from a trust, and annuities. The principal, or total amount of holding in these forms, is not counted. 

  • Alimony or child support - If the parent receives alimony payments or child support for a child in their custody, this is counted as monthly income. 

  • Rent - If the parent is a landlord or sublets, any money they receive in the form of rent payments are counted. 

Deductions from Monthly Income

After calculating the other parent’s total monthly income, a few expenses can be deducted from that amount, including: 

  • Taxes - This includes both state and federal income taxes, as well as social security taxes. 

  • Retirement plan - If your spouse’s job has them making forced contributions to a retirement plan, that amount can be deducted from their monthly income.

  • Medical costs - Some medical costs, including money spent on health or dental insurance as well as any contributions to the children’s medical expenses can be deducted. 

  • Union dues - If your spouse belongs to a union, the amount of their dues is not counted.

From there, the rough amount of child support you will actually receive depends on how many children you have in common with the payor. The more children in need of support, the higher the percentage of income is. 

Note, however, that if the noncustodial parent earns more than $9,200, they could be ordered to cover up to 100% of the child’s actual expenses. 

Call a North Texas Child Support Attorney

Pfister Family Law is skilled at helping custodial parents and their children receive the full amount of support they are entitled to under Texas law. Our skilled Collin County child support lawyers understand that raising a child can be expensive, and we want you to receive the highest possible amount of child support. Call us at 972-954-6455 for an initial consultation. 

 

Source: 

https://csapps.oag.texas.gov/monthly-child-support-calculator

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