Texas Lawyer Referral Service, TxLRS, works with some of the best Houston child support lawyers in Texas. If you have questions about child support in Texas, contact us to get referred to savvy Houston child support attorneys.
Houston, child support lawyers, are family law lawyers who specialize in child support matters.
If you believe you have a right to collect support on behalf of your child, hiring an attorney will allow you to avoid dealing with the other parent directly. It will also help ensure your child receives as much money as possible without delay. Contact us for an attorney now to start the process.
The obligation to pay child support is considered to be independent of any other rights or responsibilities of the non-custodial parent. For example, it is quite common for a court to decide questions of child support and visitation at the same time, and the judge’s decisions on the two issues may appear in the same order. It may lead a non-custodial parent to believe that the duty to pay support and the right to visitation are mutually dependent. They are not. Even if the custodial parent wrongfully denies visitation, support must still have to be paid. Withholding child support for any reason can lead to contempt of court and a host of other serious consequences.
Requesting child support is a relatively straightforward process. In some cases, the non-custodial parent may be the one to seek a child support order, as that parent will need to demonstrate that he or she is actively paying support before the court will grant requests about custody or visitation.
State statutes provide specific guidelines for calculating child support. Most states have published worksheets that allow parties to enter income and expense information to arrive at a “presumptive” monthly payment amount. This figure is said to be presumptive because it is possible to deviate upward or downward based on unique circumstances.
If the parties cannot agree, it will be necessary to hold a hearing for the judge to decide the matter.
From a tax perspective, child support payments are a neutral event. The custodial parent need not declare the payments as income, and the non-custodial parent cannot deduct them as an expense. Parents who are obligated to pay support should refuse requests for direct payment by the recipient parent. There are numerous cases in which a parent did not receive credit for child support paid directly to the other parent.
As the child grows up, either parent may experience a sudden increase or decrease in income. The child may develop special interests or needs that result in additional expenses. Moreover, specific factors can justify a modification of the support order. However, the party requesting the change has the responsibility of proving that the changed circumstances meet the applicable legal standard in that jurisdiction.
Parents who fail to make current child support payments may also face suspension of driving privileges, passports, and more. Furthermore, in severe cases, a judge may decide to impose jail time as a penalty for non-payment.
If you need legal assistance from Houston child support lawyers, fill out our form on this page or call us. We can refer you to experienced Texas child support lawyers. Furthermore, take matters of child visitation into your own hands. Request a Free Consultation by contacting us today.