Houston Child Support Lawyer
A board certified family law attorney helping Texas parents reach a fair, accurate child support order.
Child support is one of the most emotionally charged parts of a divorce or custody case, because it sits right at the intersection of your finances and your children. Whether you will be paying support or receiving it, you want an order that is accurate, fair, and built on a complete picture of the numbers. As a Houston child support lawyer, I help parents throughout Harris County and the surrounding area get to exactly that.
I am board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential held by roughly 800 of the more than 110,000 attorneys licensed in Texas. Before I practiced law, I was a teacher, so the wellbeing of the child is never an abstraction to me. It is the point.
How Texas Calculates Child Support
Both parents have a duty to support their children financially, during the marriage and after a Texas divorce, and that duty applies even if the parents were never married. In most cases, Texas uses a guideline formula set out in Texas Family Code Chapter 154 that applies a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly net resources, based on the number of children:
- One child: 20% of net resources
- Two children: 25%
- Three children: 30%
- Four children: 35%
- Five children: 40%
- Six or more children: at least 40%
Those percentages apply only up to a cap on monthly net resources. As of September 1, 2025, that cap is $11,700, up from the $9,200 that had been in place since 2019. If your income is above the cap, the guideline answer that an online calculator shows you is probably not the whole story, and a court can order support above the guideline amount based on the child’s proven needs. That is a conversation worth having with an attorney rather than guessing.
“Net resources” is broad. It includes wages, salary, commissions, tips, overtime, and bonuses, plus interest, dividends, royalties, self-employment income, net rental income, retirement and pension benefits, trust income, capital gains, annuities, and most government benefits. Only a short list of items is excluded. Getting this number right is where a child support case is often won or lost.
Making Sure the Numbers Are Honest
A fair order depends on full and accurate net resources on both sides. Some parents try to hide assets or underreport income to lower their obligation, and some are voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, which can require asking the court to impute income to them. As a Houston child support attorney, I know how to investigate financial records and press for complete reporting so that neither parent is taken advantage of.
Modifying a Texas Child Support Order
A child support order is not permanent. It can be modified when circumstances change materially enough to make the current order unfair or unworkable, for example:
- A substantial increase in the paying parent’s income
- A significant drop in that parent’s finances, such as a job loss or medical crisis
- A medical emergency for the child that shifts an unfair burden onto the custodial parent
A modification means returning to court, filing the right motion, and showing the judge that a change is warranted and in the child’s best interest. I help parents build and present that case, whether they are asking for a modification or opposing one.
Talk With a Child Support Lawyer in Houston
If you need to establish, collect, modify, or respond to a child support order, you can schedule a consultation with the Law Office of Maria Lowry. A consultation is a paid, one-on-one working session in which you will get a clear read on where you stand and what your options are.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is child support in Texas?
For most families, Texas applies a guideline percentage to the paying parent’s monthly net resources: 20% for one child, 25% for two, and so on, up to a cap of $11,700 in monthly net resources as of September 1, 2025. The actual figure depends on how net resources are calculated, which is rarely as simple as looking at a paycheck.
Can child support be more than the guideline amount?
Yes. The guideline percentages apply up to the net resources cap, but a court can order additional support above that when the child’s proven needs justify it, such as significant medical or educational expenses. If either parent’s income is well above the cap, the formula on the Attorney General’s website will not give you the full picture.
How do I change an existing child support order?
You return to court and file a motion to modify, then show that circumstances have changed materially since the last order, for instance a meaningful change in income or in the child’s needs. The court decides based on what is fair and in the child’s best interest. I handle both sides of these modifications.
What counts as income for child support in Texas?
Net resources include far more than salary. Wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, dividends, retirement and pension benefits, and most government benefits all count, with only a short list of exclusions. Because the definition is so broad, accurately establishing net resources is often the heart of a child support dispute.