Child support is a payment by one parent (often the “non-custodial parent”) to the other parent for the support of their common child. It is in the best interest of a child for both parents to be obligated to pay for the support of their child. An order for child support transfers the income/wealth from one parent to the other so that the combined incomes/wealth of both parents is available to use for the support of the child.

How is the amount of child support determined?
The Texas Family Code provides guidelines as to what the amount of a child support payments should be. Having a guideline is believed to prevent widely different amounts of child support being ordered from courtroom to courtroom. Guidelines provide an objective basis for the determination of the amount of support to be paid.