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How to modify child support in Texas

On Behalf of | Mar 1, 2021 | Family Law |

Every parent paying or receiving child support knows that child support is a significant concern for many parents and families including those in Texas. For that reason, it is helpful to be familiar with when child support can be modified and how to modify it.

Modifying child support

When circumstances change, it may be possible to request that a child support order be modified and it may be modified in certain circumstances. A parent may be eligible for a child support modification in circumstances including:

  • If the existing child support order was established or last modified three years ago.
  • If, according to child support guidelines, the monthly child support amount requested differs by either 20% or $100 from the monthly child support amount in the existing child support order; or
  • If there has been a material or substantial change since the child support order was last determined.

What is considered a substantial change in circumstances?

A material or substantial change in circumstances can include:

  • The noncustodial parent’s income has increased or decreased;
  • The noncustodial parent is legally responsible for additional children;
  • The child’s (or children’s) medical insurance coverage has changed; or
  • The child or children are now living with a different parent.

Life seldom stays the same following a divorce which can impact child support and child custody. Knowing how to seek and received a post-divorce modification can be increasingly important for either recipient parents who believe their child support amount should be increased or paying parents who are struggling to meet their child support obligations.