Child Support Attorneys in Houston, Texas

When you and your partner had children, it was so joyous and exciting. Your children forever changed your life for the better and made it that much more fulfilling and meaningful.

While you absolutely love being a parent, you’re having a tough time in your relationship. The love has faded, or perhaps you and your partner have irreconcilable differences you both aren’t willing to compromise on. At the very worst, you may be experiencing abuse, or your partner could be going through addiction issues and not getting help for them.

If you do decide to part ways or get divorced, then you’re going to need to work out a child support agreement. With the help of an assertive but fair Houston child support lawyer, you can do just that, hopefully walking away amicably from your relationship and ensuring your children feel happy, healthy, and safe throughout the entire challenging and emotional process.

Do You Need Help with a Child Support Issue in the Houston area?

When deciding if you need to hire a child support attorney, it’s critical for you to know about what exactly is involved in the process, and what’s at risk. With over two decades of experience in family law, attorneys Shannon Boudreaux & Kevin Hunter of Boudreaux Hunter & Associates LLC can help explain what’s involved and how they can help. Call us at (713) 333-4430 or fill out a contact form now to schedule a consultation with one of our highly qualified attorneys serving Harris County.

Boudreaux Hunter & Associates LLC is located in the Upper Kirby district of Houston, TX near Richmond Ave & Timmons Ln just a few blocks north of I69, in the same building as the Houston-Galveston Area Council (open Google Maps).

Google Review: My case was a child support modification case, in the mix of other things as well. I had previously hired Shannon for my divorce case but due to personal reasons had to stop the process. I eventually was able to go through my divorce and come to terms with my ex-husband. But unfortunately things didn’t go 50/50 and I knew then that I had to call Shannon again. I love the way Shannon works, she is always on top of things. Her team is amazing as well, Lauren, Dena, Giuliana are always quick to respond back with emails or get everything in place when needed. Shannon always made me feel confident through mediation, made sure to ask what my thoughts were on all questions. I am beyond satisfied with the outcome. I will forever be great full to Shannon and her team. If I ever have any issues in the future, Shannon is always a call away!
-Maria M.

How Child Support Works In Texas

Child support is a monthly payment that usually a non-custodial parent makes to a custodial parent following the dissolution of their relationship. Since the non-custodial parent is not cohabitating with the children or spending most of their time with them, they need to pay child support to ensure that the primary parent has everything they need to properly take care of their children.

To come up with the amount of child support needed, the judge will look at how much a parent earns, how much time the child is spending with each parent, what kind of support a child needs, and how many children are in the picture. Child support will typically end when the child turns 18, but could be prolonged if the child has a permanent disability and needs extra care, such as placement in a special home or additional medical treatment.

If you’re curious about how much you’d owe in child support, you can use the Texas child support calculator to figure it out.

Child support laws fall under Texas Family Code Section 154.001, et seq. (Support of Child), and the amount is based off a percentage of the monthly net resources that the obligor (the payer) makes, along with the number of children the obligor is supporting with their income. Income includes gross salary, pensions, unemployment money and investment and retirement funds.

In Texas, when a parent gets sole custody, they have what’s called Sole Managing Conservatorship (SMC). When both parents get custody, it’s called Joint Managing Conservatorship (JMC). Even if they have a JMC agreement in place, the parent who spends less time with a child – or the one who earns a higher income – will end up paying some sort of child support.

However, the parent with primary custody or the one with the lower income still has to pay for their children’s needs. Child support can supplement their income and help them fund anything else the children require.

Modifying Child Support in Texas

Either parent can seek a modification to the child support agreement. For example, a parent may go back to school and not work as much anymore, so they could request to lower their monthly support payment. Or, perhaps, they aren’t covering healthcare costs anymore, so the primary parent who is now responsible for healthcare for the children may request an increase in child support to cover those costs.

What Happens if Child Support Isn’t Being Paid in Texas?

When the obligor doesn’t pay the obligee, a number of things can happen. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will enforce an order, which could start off with losing your drivers, hunting, fishing and/or professional licenses. You may be denied a new passport, or a lien could be filed on your bank accounts, personal injury claims, insurance settlements or awards, life insurance plans, properties or any other assets you may have.

If you win the lottery, the OAG could intercept your earnings before you ever receive them. It could also report how much child support you owe and how much you’ve already paid to the credit reporting agencies.

If you’re in contempt, you will be fined for your missed payments. And, in the worst-case scenario, you will go to jail for not paying your child support.

If you’re behind on child support payments, it’s always a bad idea to just ignore the notices you’re receiving. Instead, be honest with your ex and the court and seek to modify your agreement if you find yourself struggling to pay it every month.

Choosing a Child Support Attorney

No matter what stage you’re at in your relationship – whether you’re contemplating separating or you’re already in the divorce proceedings – you can hire a child support lawyer to help you along the way. An experienced attorney will know the finer details of child support laws and help you come to an agreement that works for both you and your ex, or soon-to-be ex.

You can also get in touch with our child support attorneys if your ex has failed to make payments. Our attorney will help you file the papers, including an enforcement order, if your ex doesn’t respond to notices from the court. Having an attorney at your side is critical, since Texas courts are jammed up with these kinds of cases and it can take a while.

After all, you work and you’re caring for your children simultaneously. You can’t waste your precious time and energy waiting for a court date or filing papers. An attorney can take the stress out of the situation as much as possible and reassure you that things are getting taken care of in a timely manner. Then, you can focus on your children and yourself in this difficult time.

If you’re looking for a Houston child support lawyer, make sure to reach out to Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC, who can help you reach a resolution and ensure your child support issues get resolved. Don’t wait: call us at (713) 333-4430 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you ASAP.