How Is Child Support Calculated in Texas? Guidelines, Cap, and Real Numbers

The Texas Formula in One Paragraph

Texas calculates child support in two moves: compute the paying parent's monthly net resources under Family Code §154.062, then apply the guideline percentage for the number of children under §154.125. Judges presume the guideline amount is in the child's best interest, and deviations require findings.

The percentages apply only up to a ceiling. Since September 1, 2025, the guidelines reach the first $11,700 of monthly net resources; above that, extra support requires proof of the child's actual needs under §154.126.

Step 1: Calculate Net Resources

Net resources start with nearly all income: wages, overtime, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, and even unemployment benefits. From that, §154.062 subtracts federal income tax for a single person, Social Security taxes, union dues, and the cost of the child's health and dental insurance.

Self-employed parents are the hard cases. Business write-offs that lower taxable income do not always lower net resources, and courts can look at the lifestyle the business funds. Intentionally underemployed parents can be set at earning potential rather than actual earnings under §154.066.

Step 2: Apply the Guideline Percentages

With net resources fixed, the percentage table below does the rest. The percentages drop slightly when the paying parent also supports children in another household, under §154.129.

What Gets Added on Top

The percentage is not the whole obligation. The paying parent typically also provides medical support under §154.182 and dental support under §154.1825, usually by carrying the insurance or reimbursing the premium. Uninsured medical costs are commonly split 50/50 by order.

Child support also interacts with taxes less than parents expect: payments are neither deductible to the payer nor income to the recipient. How the child tax credit moves between households is covered in our article on child support and taxes.

Does 50/50 Possession Eliminate Child Support?

Not automatically. Texas guidelines are built around one parent paying the other, and even in equal-time schedules courts commonly order the higher-earning parent to pay an offset amount so the child's standard of living does not collapse at one house.

Parents negotiating a schedule should price it realistically before agreeing. Our walkthrough on how to file for custody in Texas shows where support gets set in the case, and our guide to what makes a parent unfit in Texas covers when a court restricts possession altogether.

Changing an Existing Order

Modification requires either a material and substantial change in circumstances, or the passage of three years with a guideline difference of at least 20% or $100 per month, under Family Code §156.401. Job loss, a new baby, or a big raise all qualify as material changes.

Until a judge signs a new order, the old number keeps accruing, with interest on arrears. Informal side deals between parents do not bind the court, which is the single most common and expensive misunderstanding we correct. Pricing a case starts with how much a Texas divorce costs when support is part of a divorce, and our Dallas child support attorneys handle both new orders and modifications.

Sources

Statutes cited in this article:

1. Texas Family Code §154.125: Guideline Percentages
2. Texas Family Code §154.062: Net Resources
3. Texas Family Code §154.126: Above-Guidelines Support
4. Texas Family Code §154.182: Medical Support
5. Texas Family Code §156.401: Grounds for Modification
6. Texas Attorney General: child support resources