Texas Child Support Calculator
Texas uses a percentage-of-income model on the obligor's monthly net resources only. The other parent's income is not in the formula — it is only a deviation factor.
Formula
Guideline = percentage × monthly net resources, where the percentage is 20% (1 child), 25% (2), 30% (3), 35% (4), 40% (5 or more). For 6 or more children the amount is not less than the 5-child amount.
Cap — $11,700/month from 1 September 2025
The percentage applies only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources. Maximum guideline at the cap: 1 child $2,340; 2 = $2,925; 3 = $3,510; 4 = $4,095; 5 = $4,680/month. Above the cap, extra support requires proof of the child's proven needs — high income alone is not enough, and there is no fixed above-cap formula.
Low-income rates
Where monthly net resources are under $1,000, the rates are 15% / 20% / 25% / 30% / 35% for 1–5 children (Texas Family Code §154.125(c)).
Other children (§154.129)
The court may use the Multiple Family Adjusted Guidelines — it is not automatic. Verified table rows for children before the court: 0 other children 20% / 25% / 30% (1/2/3 children); 1 other child 17.50% / 22.50% / 27.38%; 2 others 16.00% / 20.63% / 25.20%; 3 others 14.75% / 19.00% / 24.00%.
What net resources means
All income from any source minus only statutory deductions: FICA, federal income tax as a single filer under the statute's method, state income tax if applicable (Texas has none), union dues, the child's court-ordered health/dental premiums, and mandatory retirement where the obligor does not pay Social Security. Voluntary retirement, rent, car payments and credit-card debt do not reduce net resources.
Custody, add-ons, end of support
There is no timeshare formula in Texas: equal possession does not automatically mean $0, and possession time is only a deviation factor. Medical and dental support are ordered separately on top of the percentage amount. Childcare, uninsured medical and education costs are deviation factors only — no fixed split is published here. Support generally runs until age 18 or high-school graduation, whichever is later, or indefinitely if the child is disabled as defined in the chapter.
Worked examples
- Net resources $6,000, 2 children, no other children: 25% × $6,000 = $1,500/month.
- Net resources $6,000, 1 child before the court + 1 other child: 17.50% × $6,000 = $1,050/month (vs $1,200 at the standard 20%).
- Net resources $15,000, 2 children: $11,700 × 25% = $2,925/month guideline; anything above needs proven-needs evidence.
Deviation factors
The court may deviate for the child's age and needs, the parents' financial resources and earning ability, childcare and health costs, possession time, and other factors in §154.123. This calculator does not model deviations.
Sources: Texas Secretary of State, Texas Register, OAG adjustment notice under §154.125 (cap $11,700 from 1 Sept 2025); Texas Family Code §§154.001, 154.125, 154.129. Texas Register notice · §154.129 text
How to use this calculator
Start with monthly net resources, not take-home pay and not gross pay. In Texas, net resources are computed from all income sources minus only the statutory deductions listed above, using the Attorney General's tax charts. Enter the number of children before the court, then the number of other children the obligor supports. Read the note under the result: it tells you whether a standard, low-income or other-children rate was used, and whether the cap applied. Medical and dental support are separate — add them only if a court orders them; do not fold them into the percentage figure.
Additional worked examples
| Monthly net resources | Children / other children | Calculation | Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| $4,000 | 1 / 0 | 20% × $4,000 | $800/month |
| $900 (low-income) | 2 / 0 | 20% × $900 (low-income rate) | $180/month |
| $8,000 | 3 / 2 others | 25.20% × $8,000 (§154.129 table) | $2,016/month |
All three examples were recomputed from the formula on this page. The low-income example uses the 0-other-children low-income rate; where other children are also supported, the court uses the low-income multiple-family table and may adjust the figure.
Common mistakes
- Using take-home pay. Take-home pay already subtracts voluntary retirement, rent and debts that Texas does not deduct. Net resources are a statutory figure, not a payslip figure.
- Counting the other parent's income. Texas does not use it in the formula. Including it is the single most common reason online Texas estimates are wrong.
- Applying the percentage above the cap. Above $11,700, the percentage stops. Extra support needs proof of proven needs, not just a higher income.
- Assuming equal time means no support. Texas has no timeshare formula. Equal possession is a deviation factor, not an automatic offset.
- Treating the other-children table as automatic. The court may use it. The calculator shows the table rate and labels it as such.
How courts deviate from the guideline
A guideline figure is a presumption, not a guarantee. Courts commonly depart where the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate on the facts: a child's proven needs or special expenses, a parent's other obligations, hardship, high or very low income, shared-care arrangements that change real costs, and tax or benefit effects the formula does not capture. Where a court deviates, it generally must explain why and state the guideline figure it departed from. That is why every calculator on this site shows its formula and its cap: you can see what the court starts from, even if the final order differs.
In Texas, deviation factors are listed in §154.123 and include the child's age and needs, the parents' ability to contribute, childcare and health costs, and possession time. A court that deviates should explain its reasoning; the guideline figure remains the starting point.
When to hire a lawyer
An estimate is a starting point, not a strategy. Talk to a licensed attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before you rely on a figure if any of these apply: custody is disputed; there is a business, professional practice or complex property to value; retirement accounts, stock or deferred compensation are involved; either parent's income is disputed, imputed or largely non-cash; a child has special needs or disability; support is above a statutory cap; or the other party already has a lawyer. A lawyer can also advise on deviation factors, add-ons and enforcement in that jurisdiction — none of which a guideline calculator can decide. This site cannot recommend a specific lawyer and does not take referral fees.
Frequently asked questions
These questions are shown on the page in full. They are not marked up as FAQ structured data.
What is the Texas child support cap?
$11,700 of monthly net resources from 1 September 2025. The percentage applies only to the first $11,700; extra support above the cap needs proof of the child's proven needs.
Does the other parent's income matter in Texas?
No — the formula uses only the obligor's net resources. The other parent's income is only a deviation factor.
What if net resources are under $1,000 a month?
The low-income rates apply: 15% / 20% / 25% / 30% / 35% for 1–5 children.
Is this figure what a Texas court will order?
Not necessarily. It is the guideline figure before deviation, add-ons ordered separately, and any proven-needs finding above the cap. Treat it as the starting point a court works from.
How often are Texas figures updated?
The cap is adjusted by the CPI mechanism in §154.125(a-1); the next review is due in 2031. This page is dated October 2026 and will be re-checked when the cap or the tax charts change.
Change log
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | Initial build: formula, cap and worked examples from official sources, dated October 2026. |
| October 2026 | Remediation pass: FAQPage structured data removed and replaced with BreadcrumbList plus WebApplication/Article schema; visible FAQ added; navigation replaced with three hub pages and same-jurisdiction Related links; author byline and author box added; clean folder URLs. No calculator formula, cap or worked-example figure was changed in this pass. |
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