Child support disputes create serious financial and legal challenges for Tarrant County families. Custodial parents struggle when court-ordered payments fail to arrive, making it difficult to cover children's basic needs. Non-custodial parents facing enforcement actions worry about wage garnishment, license suspension, or contempt proceedings that could result in jail time.
Bailey & Galyen understands the legal complexities families face in Fort Worth child support matters. For over 40 years, our family law attorneys have helped Tarrant County parents navigate Texas child support establishment, modification, and enforcement. Whether you need to pursue support owed to your children or defend against an enforcement action, our team provides experienced legal representation.
Why Choose Bailey & Galyen for Fort Worth Child Support Cases?
Bailey & Galyen has served Texas families since 1982, building deep knowledge of Texas Family Code requirements and Tarrant County family court procedures. Our Fort Worth office on Summit Avenue puts us minutes from the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on Belknap Street, where family district courts handle child support matters.
Our team approach means multiple attorneys and support staff work together on your case. One attorney might handle court appearances while another researches complex income calculations. We handle child support cases across the spectrum—custodial parents frustrated with non-payment find strong advocates pursuing their children's needs, while non-custodial parents facing enforcement actions get strategic defense protecting their rights and financial futures.
Contact Bailey & Galyen today for a confidential consultation about your Fort Worth child support matter. Call our Fort Worth Summit Avenue office at (817) 438-2121 to discuss your situation with an experienced family law attorney.
Understanding Texas Child Support Calculations
Texas uses a guideline-based system for calculating child support obligations, meaning the state follows established formulas rather than leaving amounts entirely to individual judges' discretion. This system considers the paying parent's income and the number of children being supported. Understanding how these calculations work helps parents identify potential errors in support determinations.
How Texas Calculates Support Obligations
Texas Family Code Chapter 154 establishes guidelines for calculating child support obligations based on the obligor's net monthly resources multiplied by percentages determined by the number of children. Texas guidelines often use percentages such as 20% for one child, 25% for two children, 30% for three children, and increasing amounts for additional children.
For obligors with net monthly resources up to $11,700, courts apply guideline percentages. This cap applies to all new and modified support orders finalized on or after September 1, 2025. Orders finalized before this date remain based on the old $9,200 cap unless successfully modified. Under the updated cap, the maximum guideline support is now $2,340 per month for one child, $2,925 per month for two children, and $3,510 per month for three children.
Net resources—the income amount used for calculations—include virtually all income sources. Texas law counts many types of income when determining support obligations:
- Wages and salaries from all employment
- Commissions, overtime pay, tips, and bonuses
- Self-employment income and business profits
- Rental income from investment properties
- Interest, dividends, and investment returns
- Retirement income and pension payments
- Social Security benefits and disability payments
- Unemployment benefits and workers' compensation
Income Calculation Challenges in Fort Worth
Fort Worth's diverse economy creates calculation complexities that require careful financial analysis. Lockheed Martin engineers with substantial bonuses need those irregular payments properly analyzed. Self-employed contractors in construction or trucking face scrutiny of business expenses. Oil and gas professionals experiencing industry volatility face challenges with support based on income levels that fluctuate significantly.
The calculation starts with gross income. Courts then subtract specific deductions, including Social Security taxes, federal income tax, union dues, and medical insurance premiums for the children. This produces net monthly resources. Disputes frequently arise over what constitutes legitimate deductions versus attempts to reduce support obligations.
When You Might Modify Your Child Support Order
Court-ordered child support reflects the circumstances at the time the order was issued, but life rarely stays the same. Texas law recognizes these realities. The state provides processes for modifying support orders when significant changes occur. The updated income cap, effective as of September 1, 2025, may provide grounds for modification for families with orders based on the previous $9,200 cap, though the new cap applies only after a modified order is finalized, not retroactively to prior unpaid support.
Material Changes in Circumstances
Texas law allows child support modification when the circumstances of the child or a person affected by the order have materially and substantially changed since the order's rendition or last modification. A "material and substantial change" means a significant, ongoing change, not a brief or minor shift.
Common Fort Worth Modification Scenarios
Fort Worth's economic landscape creates various situations where parents need to seek support modifications. Common scenarios include significant income changes following layoffs at major employers like Lockheed Martin or Texas Health Resources. Aerospace industry downturns affect thousands of families. These genuine job losses may create grounds for reducing support obligations.
Career advancement also triggers modifications. The obligor working retail five years ago might now be a medical technician earning substantially more. Changes in children's needs provide modification grounds—medical conditions requiring expensive treatment, special education costs, or other substantial need increases might justify higher support.
Possession Schedule and Other Changes
Beyond income and children's needs, parenting time arrangements significantly impact modification considerations. Some parents move from a standard possession schedule to having children 40-50% of the time. They may ask the court to reduce child support because they are paying more of the children's expenses directly. While Texas law provides some accommodation for substantially equal possession, courts rarely eliminate support entirely.
Military deployments create temporary circumstances that affect possession and potentially impact support. Service members at Fort Worth's Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base or Fort Worth Army Garrison face unique issues when deploying overseas.
New children from subsequent relationships create competing obligations. An obligor supporting children from a first marriage who has additional children with a new partner now supports multiple families on the same income.
Child Support Enforcement in Tarrant County
When child support payments stop arriving, custodial parents need effective tools to compel compliance with court orders. Texas provides numerous enforcement mechanisms. These range from administrative actions to serious legal consequences.
Available Enforcement Mechanisms
Wage withholding is mandatory for all support orders. This requires employers to withhold support directly from paychecks and remit to the State Disbursement Unit. However, self-employed obligors, those paid informally, or unemployed obligors avoid wage withholding, requiring other enforcement methods.
The Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division handles most child support establishment and enforcement in Texas, with the Fort Worth regional office located at 819 Taylor Street, Suite 700.
License Suspension and Other Consequences
Beyond wage withholding, Texas law provides increasingly serious enforcement tools. License suspension represents a powerful enforcement tool. The Attorney General may suspend driver's licenses, professional and occupational licenses, and recreational licenses for obligors with unpaid support. This may create serious employment problems for Fort Worth residents who rely on driving for work.
Federal income tax refunds and state lottery winnings may be intercepted to satisfy arrears—unpaid child support amounts that accumulate over time. Property liens may attach to real estate and personal property. Passport denial occurs for arrears exceeding $2,500.
Contempt Proceedings
Courts may find obligors in contempt for willfully failing to pay court-ordered support. This can include jail time in certain situations. However, contempt requires proof of willful non-payment. Inability to pay due to genuine financial hardship provides a defense. Obligors facing contempt need attorneys who present evidence of unemployment despite diligent job searches, medical conditions preventing work, or other circumstances demonstrating lack of willfulness.
Arrears, Interest, and Long-Term Consequences
Child support arrears remain collectible under Texas law, even after the child becomes an adult. Interest accrues at 6% simple interest annually. As interest continues accruing, the total grows even if the obligor resumes current payments.
In some cases, limited settlement options may be available through negotiation, subject to court approval of any agreement that affects support obligations. Payment plans spread arrears over time while maintaining current support obligations. Retroactive modification might reduce arrears if a court finds that a material change in circumstances existed during the accumulation period. Bankruptcy does not discharge child support arrears—they survive bankruptcy proceedings as non-dischargeable domestic support obligations.
Fort Worth's Unique Child Support Considerations
Fort Worth's specific geographic, economic, and demographic characteristics create child support situations that differ from those of other Texas cities. The city's population has grown significantly in recent years, reflecting robust economic expansion. New residents navigating Texas child support law for the first time face learning curves. Calculation methods and enforcement procedures often differ from their previous states.
Fort Worth's car-dependent transportation network means license suspension for unpaid support creates serious employment challenges. Many residents need to drive to work.
Military Families
Fort Worth has a significant military presence from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base and Fort Worth Army Garrison. Military divorces involving child support require attorneys who are familiar with military pay structures. Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence may affect support calculations.
How Bailey & Galyen Helps With Your Child Support Case
Our attorneys provide strategic guidance and aggressive advocacy across all child support matters in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Custodial parents receive strong advocacy in pursuing establishment orders. They also get help enforcing existing orders through contempt proceedings. Parents may seek modifications when their children's needs increase or obligors' incomes improve.
Comprehensive Legal Services
We gather comprehensive financial evidence for child support cases. Essential documentation typically includes:
- Tax returns from the past two to three years
- Recent pay stubs showing current income
- Bank statements demonstrating deposits and expenses
- Business records for self-employed obligors, including profit and loss statements
- Documentation of bonuses, commissions, and irregular income
Our team examines opposing parties' income sources, business expenses, and financial circumstances. Non-custodial parents facing enforcement actions get strategic defense. We present evidence of genuine inability to pay. We document job search efforts for unemployed clients. We negotiate payment plans and advocate for fair treatment in contempt proceedings.
Parents seeking modifications receive guidance on evidence requirements. Job losses need termination letters and unemployment benefit records. Changed possession schedules require evidence of actual time spent with children.
Protecting Your Financial Future and Parental Rights
Addressing child support problems early can prevent larger legal and financial issues. Custodial parents who wait years before pursuing enforcement find that substantial arrears have accumulated, and collection becomes more difficult over time. Non-custodial parents who ignore enforcement notices find themselves facing contempt hearings without prepared defenses.
If you experience a material and substantial change in circumstances, you need to file a prompt modification petition. For example, an obligor who loses their job but continues to pay the original child support amount risks depleting their savings and retirement accounts.
While the Attorney General offers essential enforcement services, a private attorney provides personalized representation focused on your specific situation. Hiring an attorney gives you a strategic advantage over handling child support matters alone.
FAQ for Fort Worth Child Support Lawyers
What Documentation Do I Need for a Child Support Modification?
Modification petitions require substantial documentation proving changed circumstances. Demonstrating job loss requires termination letters, unemployment benefit statements, and evidence of job search efforts. Income increases need recent pay stubs and tax returns. Showing medical conditions that prevent work requires physician statements detailing the limitations. If there are new children from subsequent relationships, you need birth certificates and any existing support orders.
How Long Does the Child Support Enforcement Process Take in Tarrant County?
Enforcement timelines vary based on the methods used and case complexity. Wage withholding through the State Disbursement Unit typically begins within weeks once employers receive withholding orders. License suspension proceedings may take several months from the initial notice to the actual suspension. Contempt proceedings require court hearings, which may be scheduled weeks or months out depending on court dockets.
Can I Reduce Child Support If My Ex-Spouse's Income Increased Significantly?
Texas child support calculations focus primarily on the obligor's income rather than the custodial parent's income. Generally, increases in the custodial parent's income do not justify reducing the obligor's support obligations. Courts focus on children's needs and the obligor's ability to contribute rather than equalizing parental financial situations.
What Happens to Child Support Arrears If the Custodial Parent Doesn't Want to Pursue Collection?
Child support arrears remain collectible under Texas law even if the custodial parent chooses not to actively pursue enforcement. However, custodial parents and obligors may negotiate agreements about arrears. These may include payment plans or settlements. Courts must approve any agreements affecting child support obligations.
Does Joint Custody Eliminate Child Support Obligations in Texas?
Joint custody—or joint managing conservatorship in Texas legal terminology—does not automatically eliminate child support obligations. Even when parents share decision-making authority and have substantial possession time with children, one parent typically has primary physical custody. Texas law provides some accommodation for substantially equal possession schedules, but courts rarely eliminate support entirely.
Get Experienced Fort Worth Child Support Representation Today
Child support issues require timely attention and experienced legal guidance. Whether you need to establish support orders, pursue enforcement against non-paying parents, defend against enforcement actions, or seek modifications reflecting changed circumstances, Bailey & Galyen provides the level of representation that many Fort Worth families need in child support matters.
Don't let child support issues threaten your financial stability or your children's well-being. Contact Bailey & Galyen today for a confidential consultation about your Fort Worth child support matter. Call our Fort Worth Summit Avenue office at (817) 438-2121 or contact us online to discuss your case. Our experienced family law attorneys are ready to help you navigate Texas child support law.