Texas Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated

In Texas, child support is calculated as a percentage of the paying parent's ("obligor's") average monthly net resources, not a joint-income formula. The guideline percentage is 20% of net resources for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five children — and not less than the five-child amount for six or more children. That percentage applies up to a monthly net-resources cap, and a separate, lower set of percentages applies if the paying parent's net resources fall under $1,000 a month. Texas does not build parenting time into the support number the way some states do; possession and access are handled through a separate possession order.

The basic Texas formula: percentage of net resources

Texas Family Code Section 154.125(b) sets the core guideline percentages that apply to the obligor's average monthly net resources:

• 20% for 1 child
• 25% for 2 children
• 30% for 3 children
• 35% for 4 children
• 40% for 5 children
• For 6 or more children, the amount must be not less than the five-child amount

These percentages are applied to "net resources" as defined by statute, not to gross paycheck income — see below for what counts.

Time-sensitive: the net-resources cap changed in 2025

Flag: this number changes periodically. The guideline percentages only apply up to a cap on monthly net resources. That cap increased from $9,200 to $11,700, effective September 1, 2025, under Family Code Section 154.125(a)(1) and (a-1). The Office of the Attorney General's Title IV-D agency is required to adjust this cap every six years based on the Consumer Price Index, so it will change again in the future. If your case involves resources near or above this cap, confirm the current cap with the Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division or your local family court before relying on any specific dollar figure.

Lower-income obligors: a reduced schedule

If the paying parent's monthly net resources are under $1,000, a separate, reduced percentage schedule applies (effective September 1, 2021, under Section 154.125(c)):

• 15% for 1 child
• 20% for 2 children
• 25% for 3 children
• 30% for 4 children
• 35% for 5 children
• For 6 or more children, not less than the five-child amount under this reduced schedule

What counts as "net resources" in Texas

Under Family Code Section 154.062, "resources" is defined broadly. It generally includes wages, salary, commissions, overtime pay, tips, and bonuses; self-employment income; net rental income; interest, dividends, and royalties; severance pay; retirement and pension benefits; trust income; annuities; capital gains; unemployment benefits; disability and workers' compensation benefits; gifts and prizes; and spousal maintenance received.

To get from gross resources to net resources, Texas law allows specific deductions, including:

• Federal income tax withholding (calculated for a single person claiming one exemption)
• Social Security taxes or, for self-employed obligors, the self-employment tax equivalent
• State income tax, if applicable
• Union dues
• The cost of the child's health and dental insurance

Because the exact math involves specific tax tables and deduction rules, an attorney, the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division, or the court's child support calculator resources can help you or your family law professional work through the precise net-resources figure for your situation — this article explains the framework, not a substitute for that calculation.

When a parent supports children in more than one household

If the paying parent also has a legal duty to support a child living in another household, Texas applies an alternative, reduced percentage table rather than the standard one, under Family Code Section 154.129. For example, an obligor with one child before the court and one additional child being supported in another household may owe roughly 17.5% of net resources for the child before the court, rather than the standard 20% that would apply with only one child. The exact adjusted percentage depends on the number of children involved in each household, so this is an area where a specific calculation matters — the general principle is that support for multiple households is meant to be shared out rather than stacked on top of a single 20/25/30/35/40 schedule.

Does parenting time reduce child support in Texas?

Not automatically. Family Code Section 154.123 lists the amount of time a parent has possession of and access to the child as one of several factors a court may consider in deciding whether to vary from the guideline support amount — but Texas does not have a built-in, automatic credit or offset for parenting time the way some other states do. In other words, having more overnights does not, by itself, mechanically lower the guideline percentage. Instead, possession and access are generally addressed separately, through a Standard Possession Order under Family Code Section 153.252, which sets the actual schedule of when each parent has the child. A court could still deviate from the guideline support amount based on possession time as part of a broader look at the circumstances, but that is a case-by-case decision rather than an automatic formula.

Modifying a Texas child support order

Under Family Code Section 156.401, a Texas child support order can be modified if either of two things is true:

1. There has been a material and substantial change in circumstances since the order was rendered (or last modified); or
2. It has been at least three years since the order was rendered or last modified, and the monthly amount under the order differs from the amount that would result under the current guidelines by either 20% or $100.

The statute also specifically identifies incarceration for more than 180 days as qualifying as a material and substantial change in circumstances on its own. If your income, the other parent's income, or the children's needs have changed significantly, or if three years have passed and the guideline amount would now be meaningfully different, you may have grounds to ask the court to modify the order — but the change has to fit one of these statutory paths.

How child support gets enforced — including across state lines

Texas child support enforcement operates inside a federal framework. Under the federal Title IV-D program (42 U.S.C. §§ 654, 659, 666), every state — including Texas — must run a child support enforcement agency (that is the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division) and must have standardized enforcement tools available, such as automatic income withholding from paychecks, license suspension, and liens against property. Federal law also waives sovereign immunity so that federal wages and certain federal benefits can be garnished to collect support.

If one parent lives outside Texas, 28 U.S.C. § 1738B requires other states to enforce a validly issued Texas child support order and generally bars another state from modifying it, except under narrow continuing-jurisdiction rules. This works together with the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) that Texas and other states have adopted, so a Texas order does not become unenforceable just because a parent moves.

Finally, if a paying parent files for bankruptcy, child support is treated as a "domestic support obligation" that cannot be discharged (11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5)) and is paid ahead of most other unsecured debts (11 U.S.C. § 507(a)(1)). Property-settlement debts from a divorce decree are also generally non-dischargeable in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy under § 523(a)(15).

What you can do in Texas

• Identify your net resources. Gather pay stubs, tax returns, and records of any other income sources (self-employment, rental income, bonuses, etc.), then work through the statutory deductions to estimate net resources.
• Check where you fall relative to the cap. If your net resources are near or above the current cap (increased to $11,700/month effective September 1, 2025), confirm the current figure with the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division, since this cap is periodically adjusted.
• Note if you support children in more than one household. If so, ask the court or the Attorney General's office about the alternative percentage table under Section 154.129 rather than assuming the standard 20/25/30/35/40 percentages apply directly.
• Don't assume your parenting schedule automatically changes the number. If you believe your possession time should be a factor, raise it explicitly — it is a factor the court may consider, not an automatic credit.
• If circumstances have changed, look at modification. Consider whether you have a material and substantial change, or whether three years have passed with at least a 20%/$100 gap from the current guideline amount, and consult the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division or a family law professional about filing.
• If a parent has moved out of state, know that the Texas order generally remains enforceable and controlling under UIFSA and 28 U.S.C. § 1738B — moving does not erase the obligation.

This article is general information, not legal advice — for guidance on your specific situation, contact the Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division or a family law attorney.