Receive Compassionate Guidance From A Houston Child Support Lawyer
Last updated on August 5, 2025
For parents, divorce brings challenges that extend far beyond the emotional pain of ending a marriage. They face difficult decisions about their children’s future while managing overwhelming financial pressures. In this situation, you need an experienced Houston child support lawyer who understands the complexities of family law and puts your children’s needs first.
At Meredith Clark Law, we recognize that child support cases involve much more than simple calculations. With years of dedicated experience in Texas family law, our approach combines thorough legal knowledge with genuine compassion for families in Houston and across Harris County.
Under the leadership of founder Meredith V. Clark, who brings Super Lawyers recognition and elite legal experience to every case, we provide bold advocacy combined with compassionate representation.
Factors That Determine Child Support Amounts In Texas
When calculating child support payments, Texas courts follow specific guidelines that prioritize the child’s interests above all else. Judges take a close look at the following factors:
- Noncustodial parent’s income: Courts examine the paying parent’s gross monthly income, including wages, bonuses, commissions and other earnings.
- Number of children: Texas uses a percentage system based on how many children need support. The range starts at 20% for one child and goes up to 40% for five or more children.
- Health care and insurance costs: The final support amount includes medical insurance payments, as well as costs for health care not covered by insurance.
- Childcare expenses: Parents typically share costs for daycare and childcare needed for work. These costs may be added to the basic support amount when the custodial parent works or goes to school.
- Special needs: These include additional costs for therapy, medical equipment, educational support and other special circumstances.
- Custody arrangements: How much time each parent spends with the children can affect support amounts, especially when parents share custody.
Understanding these considerations can help you create clear expectations and advocate for an arrangement that truly supports your child’s future.
What Houston Parents Ask About Child Support
The questions below address the real concerns we hear daily from parents facing the complexities of establishing child support.
When does child support end?
In Texas, child support typically ends when your child reaches 18 or finishes high school, whichever comes last. However, certain circumstances can alter this standard timeline:
- If your child has disabilities that require ongoing care, support may continue indefinitely
- When a court terminates the parent-child relationship
- If your child gets married, joins the military or passes away
Any changes to the support order require court approval, even if both parents agree to the change. This protects your child’s financial interests, even if there are changes in the child custody arrangement.
What are my options if child support isn’t being paid?
We can help you file a motion for contempt of court, which forces the nonpaying parent to appear before a judge and explain their failure to meet their obligations. Texas courts take unpaid child support seriously and can impose wage garnishment, asset seizure, tax refund interception, license suspension and even jail time for willful nonpayment. We also work with the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division to pursue enforcement through their established programs while simultaneously protecting your rights in court.
Can you negotiate child support in Texas?
Yes, parents can negotiate child support amounts in Texas, but any agreement must meet or exceed the state’s minimum guidelines. They must also receive court approval to become legally enforceable.
Speak With A Trusted Child Support Attorney In Houston
Every day you wait to address child support issues is another day your family faces uncertainty about their future. Talk to a dedicated child support attorney today. Call our office at 832-301-0191 or fill out this online form to schedule your first consultation.