Federal Child Support Reform — What Dallas Parents Need to Know

How federal and Texas child support law fit together

Federal law under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act sets minimum standards for state child support programs but leaves the substance — how support is calculated, modified, and enforced — to each state. In Texas, that is Chapter 154 of the Texas Family Code and the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division.

Any federal executive action or bill affecting child support must be implemented by state statute or agency rule before it changes what a Dallas County judge does with your case.

What actually changes for Dallas parents

Right now, Dallas County judges continue to apply the Texas guideline percentages (20% of net resources for one child, up to 40% for five or more) with the annual Attorney General maximum resource cap. Enforcement tools — wage withholding, license suspension, tax offset, and contempt — remain unchanged.

If Texas amends Chapter 154 in response to federal reform, we will publish an update. Until then, existing orders are enforceable as written.

Cross-border and Mexican Consulate cases

For parents whose obligor lives in Mexico, enforcement continues through the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) and the U.S.–Mexico bilateral agreement. Attorney Isabela Garcia serves as the exclusive consulting attorney for the Mexican Consulate of Dallas and can coordinate cross-border enforcement.

What to do today

If you already have a Texas order and it has been more than three years since it was set, you may be eligible for a modification based on a 20% or $100 difference from the current guideline. If your income has materially changed — up or down — you can file at any time.