Last updated: July 27, 2026
Child support is decided in the same SAPCR that decides conservatorship and possession. It is governed by Texas Family Code Chapter 154, which sets out a guideline formula the courts presume to be reasonable.
The calculation has three steps: determine monthly net resources, apply the guideline percentage, and check the statutory cap.
Step One: Monthly Net Resources
Under § 154.062(b), resources include essentially everything actually received:
- 100% of wage and salary income and other compensation for personal services, including commissions, overtime pay, tips, and bonuses
- Interest, dividends, and royalty income
- Self-employment income
- Net rental income
- All other income actually being received — severance, retirement benefits, pensions, trust income, annuities, capital gains, unemployment benefits, disability and workers' compensation benefits, gifts and prizes, spousal maintenance, and alimony
Certain items are excluded, including return of principal on a note, accounts receivable, benefits paid under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and payments for foster care.
From that total, § 154.062(d) allows a limited set of deductions:
- Social security taxes
- Federal income tax based on the rate for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction — not your actual withholding
- State income tax, where applicable
- Union dues
- Expenses for health insurance, dental insurance, or cash medical support for the obligor's child
- Nondiscretionary retirement plan contributions, if the obligor does not pay social security taxes
The federal-tax deduction rule surprises people every time. Your net resources are computed on a standardized single-filer basis regardless of how you actually file, so the figure rarely matches your take-home pay.
Step Two: The Guideline Percentages
Section 154.125(b) applies these percentages to monthly net resources when the obligor has no other children to support:
| Children before the court | Percentage of net resources | Maximum at the $11,700 cap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | $2,340 |
| 2 | 25% | $2,925 |
| 3 | 30% | $3,510 |
| 4 | 35% | $4,095 |
| 5 | 40% | $4,680 |
| 6+ | Not less than 40% | $4,680 or more |
If the obligor has children in more than one household, § 154.129 provides an alternative percentage schedule that reduces the percentage applied to the children before the court.
Step Three: The Cap on Net Resources
The guideline percentages apply only up to a statutory ceiling on monthly net resources. That ceiling rose from $9,200 to $11,700 effective September 1, 2025, enacted by Senate Bill 1936 of the 89th Legislature. Section 154.125(a-1) provides for periodic adjustment to reflect inflation.
Income above the cap is not automatically ignored. Under § 154.126, if the obligor's net resources exceed the cap, the court applies the percentage to the capped amount and may order additional support depending on the income of the parties and the proven needs of the child. The burden is on the party seeking more to prove the need.
Because the cap is adjusted over time, confirm the current figure before relying on it. The Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division publishes the current amount and a calculator.
Medical and Dental Support Are Separate
Child support does not include health coverage. Under § 154.181, the court must render an order for medical support for the child, and under § 154.1815 an order for dental support. These are ordered in addition to the guideline support amount, typically by requiring one parent to carry coverage and the other to reimburse a share of the premium, with uninsured expenses split between the parents.
How Long Support Lasts
Under § 154.001, support generally continues until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, provided the child is enrolled and complying with attendance requirements. It also ends on emancipation, marriage, or death of the child.
Under § 154.302, a court may order support for an indefinite period for a child who requires substantial care and personal supervision because of a mental or physical disability, if the disability existed before the child turned 18.
When a Parent Doesn't Appear
This is where support intersects with the rest of this site. If a parent never answers or appears, the court still sets support — without that parent's pay records, deductions, or evidence of other children.
- § 154.068: in the absence of evidence of a party's resources, the court shall presume the party has income equal to the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour week.
- § 154.066: if the court finds a parent is intentionally unemployed or underemployed, it may apply the guidelines to earning potential rather than actual income.
- § 154.009: the court may order retroactive support for a period before the order, which can produce a substantial arrearage the moment the order is signed.
A default judgment can therefore create a support obligation calculated on assumptions the absent parent never had a chance to correct, plus retroactive arrears — and arrears in Texas are enforceable through wage withholding, license suspension, liens, and contempt under Chapter 157. Interest accrues on unpaid support.
Modifying Support
Under § 156.401, a support order may be modified if:
- The circumstances of the child or a person affected by the order have materially and substantially changed; or
- Three years have passed since the order was rendered or last modified, and the monthly amount differs by either 20 percent or $100 from the amount the guidelines would produce.
Modification is not retroactive past the filing date. If your income drops, the obligation does not adjust on its own and does not adjust back to when the drop occurred. It continues accruing at the ordered amount until you file. Parents who wait to file lose that time permanently.
Support and Possession Are Independent
A parent who is denied possession must still pay support. A parent who is owed support must still surrender the child for possession. Texas courts treat these as separate obligations, and self-help on either side — withholding support because visits are refused, or refusing visits because support is unpaid — creates a Chapter 157 enforcement problem for the person doing it. The remedy for a violated order is a motion to enforce, not reciprocal violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is child support in Texas?
20% of net resources for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five, and not less than 40% for six or more — applied up to the statutory cap.
What is the Texas child support cap?
$11,700 in monthly net resources, effective September 1, 2025, up from $9,200. It is adjusted periodically under § 154.125(a-1).
Does 50/50 possession eliminate child support?
Not automatically. Texas guidelines are based on the obligor's net resources rather than a possession-time formula. Courts have discretion to deviate under § 154.123 when the circumstances justify it, and an equal-possession arrangement is one factor, but equal time does not by itself zero out support.
How long does child support last?
Until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later, with an indefinite extension possible under § 154.302 for a disabled child.
Can support be ordered in a default judgment?
Yes, using the § 154.068 minimum-wage presumption or an earning-potential finding under § 154.066, and it may include retroactive support under § 154.009.
Can we agree to no child support?
Parents can propose an agreement, but the court must find it in the child's best interest, and under § 154.124 the court reviews agreed orders against that standard. Support is regarded as the child's right rather than the receiving parent's, which limits how far parents can bargain it away.
This is not legal advice. This page is general information about Texas procedure, written by a pro se litigant, not a lawyer, and not reviewed by a licensed attorney. Statutory dollar figures change — verify the current cap with the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division before relying on any calculation here. Consult a licensed Texas family law attorney about your situation.