Child Support in El Paso
Family Lawyer Jordan Hartshorn is Ready to Help
Child support is an important aspect of many children’s lives. Child support is often part of divorce and child custody cases. The state of Texas (Office of the Attorney General) seeks to establish fair child support guidelines and laws that act in the best interest of the child without ordering unreasonable payments.
A parent can seek support payments from the other parent and pursue a child support case in court. You can also retain an attorney to ensure you’re not underpaying or overpaying, or you can seek to amend an existing order if your circumstances have changed.
The family law system is complicated and demanding. Seeking child support on your own can mean dealing with various entities and potentially an opposing attorney. Jordan Hartshorn, of Joseph & Hartshorn, serves the El Paso and West Texas area as an experienced child support lawyer. As a family lawyer, she understands the complexity surrounding these cases and aims to provide you with competent and compassionate care. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.
Our Child Support Services
Seeking child support services often involves several steps and can necessitate some investigation. Your child support lawyer will walk you through the process and ensure there are no oversights. A major part of a child support cases depends on the specific circumstances surrounding the other parent.
Securing child support payments often involves:
- Locating an absent parent
- Establishing paternity and a support order
- Following a divorce decree with an established order
- Establishing a new Child Support Order
Our child support attorney can help with all of the aspects of a child custody case. Dealing with the system on your own requires a lot of time, effort, resources.
As your child support attorney, Jordan Hartshorn can help in various situations, including when:
- You have a complicated case and the other parent doesn’t agree with the terms of the divorce or the amount of child support
- The other parent has acquired an attorney to contest the child support obligation
- You need to calculate the amount of child support to pay
- There is a divorce or child custody involved at the same time
Child Support Laws in Texas
The Texas Family Code Chapter 154 establishes the fundamental framework for court-ordered child support. The courts in Texas order both parents to support a child until:
- The child turns 18 years old or until they graduate high school
- The child is emancipated through marriage
- The death of the child
If the child is disabled, the support can be for the period of the child’s lifetime.
A Closer Look at Child Support
The office of the Attorney General of Texas seeks to establish reasonable and fair laws regarding child support and child support payments. In Texas, it is typically the non-custodial parent that is obligated to pay child support.
The amount to be paid is determined by the non-custodial parent’s net income. Texas does provide the ability to change the amount or establish a child support amount based on material and substantial change in circumstances.
General Overview On How Child Support is Determined
The amount of child support is determined by Texas child support guidelines. The guidelines are a set to establish minimum payments, but the court may adjust or deviate from the guidelines when considering specific factors of the case.
- The guidelines are based on net monthly income. Then, the court looks to see if that net income is above $7,500 or below that number. If monthly net income is above $7,500, a court has discretion to increase the amount of support depending on the child’s needs and both parents’ income.
- After net income is determined, the number of children requiring support is calculated. (If the parent has children in two different households, this is also factored in.)
- Then the following guidelines are applied:
- 1 child = 20% of net monthly income
- 2 children = 25% of net monthly income
- 3 children = 30% of net monthly income
- 4 children = 35% of net monthly income
Child Support FAQs
It’s not uncommon for parents to have concerns or questions regarding child support cases. Due to the fact that cases vary depending on individual circumstances, there is not always a set answer, but below are some of the most frequently asked questions.
What happens when a child’s mother files for child support, but I don’t think I am the father?
The judge will order the father to take a paternity test. The judge may decide that the mother must pay for the test, that you must pay for it, or that it be split.
Can I modify or change my child support?
A parent ordered to pay child support may request to modify child support if there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances. Some examples of a material and substantial change are a significant change in custody, job loss, or decrease in pay that is not due to intentional underemployment.
Can a non-custodial parent visit a child if they are not paying child support?
Visitation rights are different from child support. The court order will determine both of these. Usually, however, if there is a court order for visitation rights, that parent cannot refuse even if the non-custodial parent cannot pay their child support payments.
Contact Our Family Lawyer Today!
Have questions about your child support case or situation? Contact Joseph & Hartshorn today. The sooner you speak to our child support lawyer, the faster your case can begin.
