Whether you’re paying or receiving child support, understanding how this change impacts you is critical.

What is the Texas Child Support Cap?

Generally, in Texas, child support is calculated is based on the non-custodial parent’s net monthly income. However, it only applies up to a certain threshold known as the cap on net resources.

• Before Sept. 1, 2025: The cap was $9,200.

• After Sept. 1, 2025: The cap increases to $11,700.

Generally, income above the cap isn’t included in guideline calculations. However, the court may consider it if the child has proven needs that exceed the guideline limit.

Updated Guideline Support Amounts (Effective Sept. 1, 2025)

In summary, here’s how the new Texas child support cap of $11,700 affects guideline support:

• 1 child: 20% → $2,340/month

• 2 children: 25% → $2,925/month

• 3 children: 30% → $3,510/month

• 4 children: 35% → $4,095/month

• 5+children: 40% → $4,680/month

Who Does the 2025 Child Support Increase Affect?

New cases: Filed after Sept. 1, 2025 will use the new $11,700 cap.

Pending cases: If your case is open when the law takes effect, the higher cap will apply.

Existing orders: As a result of the new law, you may qualify for a modification if the difference between your current support and the new guideline is at least 20% or $100/month.

Why Did the Texas Child Support Cap Increase?

Every six years, the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reviews the child support guidelines. Therefore, the latest review, influenced by inflation and cost-of-living increases, resulted in this significant adjustment to the cap.

Use the official Texas Child Support Calculator to estimate guideline support based on the new cap.

How the New Child Support Cap Impacts Parents

Paying Parents (Obligors): If your net income exceeds $9,200, you could be required to pay more under the new guidelines.

Receiving Parents (Obligees): You may receive higher support payments.

Both Parents: Courts may still deviate from guideline amounts in cases involving:

• Medical or educational needs
• Long-distance visitation costs
• Additional financial support from either parent

Can You Modify Child Support Under the New Law?

Yes — you can request a modification of your child support order if:

There’s been a material and substantial change (e.g., job loss, income change, new expenses), or;

It has been at least 3 years since the last order, and

The new calculation is 20% or $100/month higher or lower.

Related Information

Want to learn more? Visit our pages on:

Our Houston Family Law Services

Child Custody in Texas

Modifying Child Support Orders

Contact a Houston Child Support Attorney

At The Quander Law Firm, we help parents understand, establish, and modify child support orders in Houston and throughout Texas.

If you’re unsure how the Texas child support cap 2025 impacts your situation, we’re here to guide you.

Call us at (832) 930-7139 or use our contact form to schedule a consultation.

While there is no absolute way to guarantee that you will get custody, here are a few tips to help increase your chances at doing so.

1. Be Involved from Day One

From the moment that your child enters this world, you should make every attempt to be involved in their life. Some ways to showcase your involvement in your child’s life include: caring for their needs, supporting them emotionally and financially, having frequent and regular visitation with your child, taking them to the doctor, and being active in their schooling and academics.

Basically, you need to show the court that you are serious about being a full-time parent. Absent extreme circumstances, a parent who has never been involved in their child’s life has very slim chances of obtaining custody of their child.

2. Be Willing to Compromise and Co-Parent

When the court issues a custody order, the order will also have several orders regarding visitation for the non-custodial parent, child support, and much more. Generally, the court will only award custody to the parent who is more likely to abide by the orders of the court to ensure that the child’s best interest are carried out. That means, if you show the court that you can co-parent in a positive manner, you have a better chance at obtaining custody. If you are constantly causing trouble with the other parent, or if you refuse to let the other parent see the child, the court will not see you as the parent who should have custody.

3. Be Careful With Your Actions

One of the quickest ways to ruin your chances of obtaining custody is to commit domestic violence against the other parent or anyone else for that matter. Domestic violence is an issue that courts take very seriously. In fact, if you commit domestic violence, not only will you not be given custody, but you may only be given supervised visitation with your child.

Additionally, avoid posting negative thoughts or feelings about the other parent on your social media accounts. These posts can negatively impact your custody proceedings and decrease your chances of obtaining custody. Keep in mind, if you send any negative or vulgar text messages to the other parent, most likely, those messages will be used against you in court.

Lastly, never speak negatively about the other parent to your child or involve the child in any parental conflicts. Doing so can leave the court with a bad perception of you as a parent.

The Quander Law Firm PLLC | Houston Child Custody Attorneys

If you are considering obtaining custody of your child or have been served with custody papers, a Houston child custody attorney at the Quander Law Firm PLLC can guide you through the process. Contact the Quander Law Firm PLLC by calling (832) 930-7139 or submit your contact information through our online contact form. The Quander Law Firm PLLC handles child custody case in Harris County and the surrounding counties.

As a family law attorney, I see firsthand how divorce can take a tolling effect on parties. During the initial consultation, my goal is to provide the client with a thorough understanding of what to expect throughout their divorce journey. Here are five commonly asked questions that I answer when consulting with people who are considering getting a divorce:

1. How long will the process take? Generally, there is a 60 day waiting period for a divorce to be finalized. Quick divorces such as these are only likely when the parties can reach an agreement as to every aspect of the divorce including property division, custody, child support, and possession and access. But when the divorce is highly contested, the case can be drug out for several months or longer. When the divorce case is contested, there is usually a long process: filing the lawsuit, attending a temporary orders hearing, mediation, and having a final trial.

2. Will my wife automatically get custody of our child? The days where women are granted custody simply because they of their gender are long gone. Nowadays, courts consider the child’s best interest in deciding who to appoint as the primary custodial parent. Some factors the court takes into consideration include the parental abilities of the individuals seeking custody, the emotional and physical needs of the child now and in the future, and the stability of the home or proposed placement.

3. What is the difference between an uncontested divorce and a contested divorce? In an uncontested divorce, the parties agree on all terms of the divorce. In a contested divorce, the parties cannot reach an agreement about getting divorced or the terms of the divorce such as child support, marital property division, or custody. An uncontested divorce can be as simple as drafting the divorce decree, obtaining you and your spouse’s signature on the decree, and quickly proving up the divorce decree in court. A contested divorce matter will require several court hearings, mediation, and possibly a trial. Even in a contested divorce matter, a top divorce attorney in Houston will guide you through the process in the most efficient manner.

4. Will this process be expensive? This depends on three things: 1) the amount of conflict between you and your spouse, 2) the complexities with your case and 3) the manner in which you choose to dispose of your divorce.

Amount of Conflict: I always ask my clients these questions to help them understand how their conflict can impact their divorce:

• “Are you willing to compromise?”
• “Can you and your spouse work together?”
• “Does your spouse trust you?”

If you answer no to any of these questions, most likely we have a long road ahead of us.

Complexities of your case: There are many factors that can add to the complexity of your case including:

• Length of the marriage
• Whether you and your spouse have significant assets and debts
• Whether domestic violence or substance abuse has played a role in your marriage

Divorce Method: Mediation is an alternative to taking your case to trial. If you and your spouse can settle your divorce in mediation, you will save a ton of money. During mediation, you and your spouse will have the opportunity to negotiate and reaching an agreement that you are both comfortable with. On the other hand, there is a lot of work that goes into prepping for a trial: discovery, depositions, trial preparation, and much more. These fees can add up quickly and you can easily accrue several thousand dollars in attorney’s fees.

5. What if my spouse doesn’t want a divorce? Texas is a no-fault divorce state which means that you are free to file for divorce on the grounds of insupportability. You do not have to allege any fault or blame to get a divorce. Your spouse may refuse to cooperate, try to evade being served with the divorce suit, or fail to file an answer. Your divorce can and will still move forward with or without your spouse.

The Quander Law Firm PLLC | Houston Divorce Lawyers

If you are considering divorce, a Houston divorce attorney at the Quander Law Firm PLLC can guide you through the process while protecting your rights and property. Contact the Quander Law Firm PLLC by calling (832) 930-7139 or submit your contact information through our online contact form. The Quander Law Firm PLLC handles divorce cases in Harris County and the surrounding counties.

But what happens when the parents can’t be amicable in reaching an agreement that is in the best interest of the child? It may be time for the parties to consider obtaining a court order. The court order that I speak of is called an order in Suit Affecting the Parent Child Relationship (SAPCR).

If you are co-parenting without a child custody order in place, here are some things to consider in deciding if it’s time to get a court order:

1. Contempt/Enforceable Order: Without a court order, the parties can mutually agree on child support and visitation terms. However, if the one parent stops paying child support or denies the other parent visitation with the child, there will be no consequences for the parent’s behavior. However, if there is a court order in place, in these two instances, the violating party can be held in contempt of court and subject to jail time, fines, and/or probation.

2. Geographic Restriction: Courts in Texas encourage parents to live close to each other to encourage a positive co-parenting relationship with the parties. A court order will give the non-custodial parent a piece of mind in knowing that the custodial parent whom the child primarily lives with will be prohibited from moving with the child beyond a certain county or city.

Always keep in mind, without a court order, the parent who the child lives with is free to move wherever he/she pleases. It is much easier to ask the court to issue a geographic restriction than it is to ask the court to order a party to move back after they have already relocated to a new state, city, or country.

3. Structured Visitation Schedule: The non-custodial parent will have set days to visit with the child: usually the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends of each month, alternating holidays, spring break, summer vacation, and more. Without a court order, the non-custodial parent is limited to visiting with the child on the other parent’s terms. Having a structured visitation schedule will minimize the confusion between parents and provide the child with more stability.

4. Clear Explanation of your Rights and Duties: A court order will explain the rights that each parent has to the child including the right to medical and school records, consent to surgical treatment, and so much more. Additionally, the non-custodial parent’s duty to pay child support and provide medical and dental insurance will be addressed in the order as well.

5. Police Assistance: If you have been the parent whom the child has primarily lived with and you encounter a situation where the other parent refuses to give the child back to you, you will wish that you had a court order already in place. Because without a court order, the police will tell you “this is a civil matter and we cannot assist you if the other parent is the child’s father or mother.” At that point, you will have to go through the trouble of filing a lawsuit against the other parent, waiting for a hearing date, and then obtaining a court order. But if you have a court order, most police officers will assist you in peacefully getting your child back. Additionally, if you already have an order in place and the other parent won’t return the child back to you, you can immediately seek the court’s help in ensuring that the child is returned to you in a quick and safe manner.

Even if you and the other parent are operating under an informal agreement and things are going well, you can have those same terms reduced to writing in an enforceable agreed court order. The last thing you want to do is find yourself in an emergency situation wishing that you had obtained a court order for your child.

If you are considering getting a court order for your child, a Houston divorce attorney at the Quander Law Firm PLLC can guide you through the process and help you strategize a plan to meet your parenting goals. Contact the Quander Law Firm PLLC by calling (832) 930-7139 or submit your contact information through our online contact form. The Quander Law Firm PLLC handles family law cases in Harris County and the surrounding counties.

1. Respond to the Lawsuit

Because your spouse filed for the divorce, your spouse is the petitioner and you are the respondent in this case. As the respondent, you must respond to the lawsuit by filing a written answer with the court to avoid having a default judgment entered against you. A default judgment can occur if you fail to respond to the lawsuit within the time specified by the law. If your spouse seeks a default judgment against you, the court may grant their request for support, property, and custody.

So when is your answer due? You must file your answer no later than the Monday following the expiration of 20 days from the date you were served. What that means is, when you receive your divorce papers, count 20 days from that date, and file your answer no later than the following Monday after the 20th day!!

2. Protect Your Rights

In Texas, all property acquired during the marriage is considered community property. Community property may include real estate, cars, retirement accounts, a business, furniture, and more. Depending on the length of your marriage, you and your spouse are bound to have acquired a significant amount of property together. You may have also had a significant amount of separate property prior to your marriage that you wish to remain as such.

At the dissolution of your marriage, it’s crucial for you take the proper steps to have your marital property divided in a just and right manner.

Additionally, if you and your spouse have any minor children, you want to ensure that your custody, visitation, and child support rights are addressed and protected. Chances are, you have had played a significant role in your children’s life and that relationship shouldn’t suffer because you and your spouse are divorcing.

3. Contact an Attorney Immediately

As soon as you are served with divorce papers, you should contact an attorney immediately. You don’t want to contact just any attorney, you want to make sure that the attorney you are considering is qualified to effectively represent you in your divorce. Your attorney will ensure that your answer is filed in a timely manner along with any counterclaims you may have against your spouse. The sooner you hire an attorney, the sooner you can begin strategizing an action plan for your divorce.

The Quander Law Firm PLLC | Houston Divorce Lawyers

If you have been served with divorce papers, a Houston divorce attorney at the Quander Law Firm PLLC can guide you through the process while protecting your rights and property. Contact the Quander Law Firm PLLC by calling (832) 930-7139 or submit your contact information through our online contact form. The Quander Law Firm PLLC handles divorce cases in Harris County and the surrounding counties.

In Texas, a visitation order is often referred to as a “possession order.” Generally, when parents cannot agree upon a visitation plan for their child, the court will likely intervene and issue a standard visitation schedule.

If you are the non-custodial parent of a child, a possession order will help to ensure that you are able to exercise your legal visitation rights with your child.

Custodial parents will also benefit from a possession order because the non-custodial parent must visit with the child pursuant to the order.

Here are Three Benefits to Having a Possession Order

1. All Parties Will Have a Better Structured Life

The possession order will designate the dates and times that the non-custodial parent can spend with their child. This will minimize conflict between parents as they will no longer be fighting over what days the child can spend the night with the other parent. The order will also provide stability for a child who is having to go between two households.

Additionally, the frequent contact with the non-custodial parent will ensure that both parents have an opportunity to have a strong bond with the child.

2. Right to Enforce the Order

Without a possession order in place, the non-custodial parent has no recourse when the custodial parent refuses to let them see their child.

However, a possession order allows a party to seek court intervention when visitation is being denied.

Vice versa, the possession order will also protect the custodial parent if the other parent refuses to return the child at the end of their visitation period.

3. Uninterrupted Periods of Visitation

The benefit of obtaining a Standard or Expanded Possession Order is that the visitation will be uninterrupted during the designated time periods.

The Standard Possession Order is the most common possession schedule that provides the non-custodial parent with the minimum amount of time that the court deems appropriate as described below.

For parents who live within 100 miles of each other, the non-custodial parent has visitation:

• The first, third, and fifth weekends of every month
• Thursday evenings of each week
• Alternating holidays
• Extended periods of time during summer vacation (usually 30 days)

However, with the Expanded Possession Order, the non-custodial parent will receive more time with the child as follows:

Weekends: When school is dismissed, the non-custodial parent can pick up the child when school is dismissed on Friday and return the child when the child’s school resumes the following Monday.

Thursdays: During the school year, the non-custodial parent can pick up the child when school is dismissed on Friday and return the child when the child’s school resumes the following Friday.

Holidays: The Expanded Possession Order also provides greater periods of possession for some holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day) and for extended weekends due to the holiday.

Summer Vacation: The non-custodial parent will normally receive 30 days of visitation with the child.

Contact The Quander Law Firm PLLC Today

If you need a knowledgeable attorney to assist you with obtaining a possession order for your child, call us at (832) 930-7139 to schedule a consultation or send us an email at info@quanderlawfirm.com.

The Texas Attorney General and the Department of Motor Vehicles have partnered up to ensure that those who are 185 days behind in child support will be lawfully prohibited from renewing their car registration.

Currently, your driver’s or professional license may be suspended for failure to pay child support.

If you are more than 185 days behind in child support, you may be eligible for a payment plan. Contact the attorney general’s office for more information.

Additionally, it may be in your best interest to speak with an attorney regarding your possible child support options.

An expired registration can subject you to traffic fines and violations. Be responsible. Take care of your child support obligation.

Attending school can be an exciting time for everyone, but the experience can quickly become dreadful when parents use the school as a battleground for conflict. Especially when there are step-parents in the picture.

Ultimately, the primary concern of parents should be ensuring that the children are raised in a loving, supportive, and healthy environment. The interaction between parents is visible to not only school administrators, but to other parents and students as well. The last thing that your children want is to feel ashamed and embarrassed by the actions of their parents. Therefore, it is important to minimize conflict and unnecessary arguments.

Whether you are a newly divorced couple or the parent of a blended family, the following tips can increase your chances of having a successful school year:

Parenting Plan. Each parent should actively engage in designing, implementing, and complying with a personalized parenting plan. This plan should serve as a guide that sets forth the conditions and terms of each parent’s responsibilities, and will likely prevent any “misunderstandings.”

School Work Accountability. Determine who will be responsible for keeping up with the children’s progress reports and ensuring that all work is being completed and turned in on time. Establish which subject each parent will assist with. (For example, mom may assist with math and dad may assist with English). Designating each parent with a subject will lessen the load of each parent and encourage academic success for the children.

Weekday/Weekend Visitation Preparation: Establish available dates for weekday and weekend visitation periods and each parent should calendar these dates. (Obviously, if there is a court ordered visitation schedule in place, adhere to and comply with it). To ensure a smooth start to the visitation periods, make sure that the school is aware of who will be picking the children up from school. It can be very frustrating for the parent and child when the school officials refuse to release the child to the other parent. Therefore, it is important to update all parent contact and child pick-up list information with your child’s school. Lastly, make sure to pack all of the child’s needed belongings so that the visiting parent can fairly enjoy their time with the child without any “innocent” interruptions.

Communicate with Each Other: Schedule weekly phone calls to discuss and update each parent about the children’s week. This will be a great time to discuss extra-curricular activities, grades, upcoming events/parent teacher conferences, and any other concerns that you may have. This gives each parent the opportunity to participate in the child’s schooling. After all, everyone loves the children and wants to be apart of their lives in a meaningful way.

Co-parenting can be fun and non-confrontational when its done right. While everyone may still be adjusting to the new blended and co-parent lifestyle, remember, the child’s best interest should always be at the forefront of the parenting. Spend more time being an asset to your child’s success and less time fighting with each other.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and useful. The Quander Law Firm wishes you and your family a great 2016-2017 school year.