Once you have determined your “monthly net resources” by
adding all sources of income or assets you receive in a year, divided by
twelve, and deducting the permitted items, you must next determine what
percentage of those monthly net resources should be paid as child support.
Texas has two different charts for determining the
appropriate percentage – one applies when all of the obligor’s children who
require support live in one household.
The other chart applies when the obligor has children living in more
than one household.
So, for example, if you have one child, the amount of your
child support for that child would be 20% of your monthly net resources under
Section 154.125 of the Texas Family Code (as of 2012).
However, if you had one child (Albert) living in one
household, and a second child (Beth) living in another household, the amount of
your child support for Albert would be 17.5% of your monthly net resources,
under the chart set forth in Section 154.129 of the Texas Family Code, because
you would receive a credit for child support that you owe to Beth.
Obviously, things become very complicated very quickly if
you have multiple children living in many different households. In these
situations, it is a good idea to consult with a family lawyer to help you
determine what amounts of child support you would owe to each individual child
under Texas’ statutory guidelines.
Blog by Cynthia W. Veidt
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