Child Support Attorney in Galveston, TX
Texas law mandates that all parents financially support their minor children, whether married or not. While most child support agreements are settled during divorce, courts can also enforce them for unmarried parents. These decisions can profoundly impact all parties in a divorce or separation. If divorce is being considered, contacting a skilled Galveston County child support lawyer is crucial to help you understand and manage the legal process. Tad Nelson has helped many families find peace in their situations by guiding them through the devastating process and is ready to hep you! Call today to schedule your consultation!
Child Support in Texas
Chapter 154 of the Texas Family Code establishes the legal rules that a court must follow in ordering child support. A judge can order either or both parents to pay support until the child is 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later. In cases where the child was disabled before reaching 18 years of age, the court may order a parent to continue paying child support “for an indefinite period”.
Texas has basic guidelines for calculating child support based on a parent’s net income. But a judge may vary from the guidelines if he determines it is in the “best interest of the child”. The Family Code specifies 17 separate factors that a judge may consider when making such a determination.
Child Support Guidelines and Enforcement
Whether you will be responsible for paying child support or will be receiving support on behalf of your children, the amount of support will play a critical role in your life moving forward. Both parents want to know that the amount was determined fairly and in a manner that is in the best interests of their children. At the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates, we help parents understand how child support is determined.
Do you have questions about child support guidelines in Texas? Call the Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates at (281) 280-0100 to schedule your consultation. You may also submit a family law intake form and our firm will contact you promptly.
How is child support determined?
Child support payments in Texas are calculated by a standard formula. As your lawyer, Tad Nelson explains the formula and the factors involved in determining support payments. The child support guidelines consider the net income of the non-custodial parent and the number of children. The net income of the non-custodial parent is calculated by subtracting the following from the gross income:
- Social security taxes
- Federal income tax
- State income tax
- Union dues
- Health insurance expenses for the children
It may be possible to deviate from the guidelines, but a carefully constructed case needs to be made for any deviations from the standard guidelines. Our firm will answer any questions you may have about complications that could arise throughout the process. We also work to identify and locate hidden assets that could impact child support determinations.
Child Support Enforcement
Do you need assistance enforcing a child support order? When the parent responsible for paying support does not pay, you may bring an enforcement action to collect child support. The non-paying parent could be held in contempt of court and actions such as wage garnishment may be ordered by the court.
Resolving Contempt and Failure to Pay Support Issues
Going through a divorce and dealing with the aftermath is difficult enough when everything goes smoothly. But when a former spouse fails to abide by agreements reached as part of the divorce, the headache can continue for years. However, it doesn’t have to. If your former spouse is failing to uphold their end of the bargain, you do have legal options.
At Tad Nelson & Associates in League City, we combine big city experience with small town values, providing men and women with a supportive environment where questions are encouraged and straightforward legal advice is provided. However difficult your situation may be now, we will do everything in our power to achieve the best possible result for you and your family.
If you are dealing with contempt issues, you need a lawyer on your side. Call (281) 280-0100 for a consultation.
Family Law Contempt Representation in Houston & Galveston County
Attorney Tad Nelson has a distinguished record of achieving successful results in Texas courts. He takes these issues seriously, representing clients in contempt cases involving:
- Failure to pay child support
- Failure to follow visitation orders
- Failure to pay spousal support
- Failure to pay alimony
If someone is found to be in contempt, they could be facing jail time as well as being required to pay back support and other fines. In custody cases, a judge could modify visitation or require supervision at visits.
How Will My Taxes Be Affected?
In the case of divorce, knowing who is financially responsible for the child can be figured out with the court and your spouse/ex-spouse in a form of pre-marital agreements or simply working together through the process. However, knowing how paying child support will affect your taxes for both parties is very important.
You must know that only one parent can claim the child(ren) on their taxes, depending on who is supporting who. The IRS will cross-check the Social Security Number of the children listed as dependents before processing returns for either you or your former spouse. If it all clears, there is nothing to worry about. If the cross-check comes back and shows both parents have claimed the same child on their tax statements when they can legally claim one of them, the IRS will more than likely require the documents to be re-filed or re-submitted.
Similar to claiming a child for your taxes, the spouse claiming the child must will need to make sure they meet a handful of requirements including, but not limiting to, the child living with the parent for at least 6 months of the tax year and the parent providing more than 50% of support to said child. More information on certain situations regarding this can be discussed with our child support attorney. These requirements may not be applicable to all depending on the situation at hand.
What If I’m Unmarried And Living Together?
This question can come up and can be simply answered by saying that the parent that is able to claim the child in question (for tax related purposes) is the parent who provided more than 50% of that child’s support for that tax year. While this is the general rule, this can be further discussed with an attorney to make sure there is no confusion, issues, or mis-inheritance/support for the children in the family.
Need Help Establishing, Contesting, or Modifying a Support Order?
The Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates represents clients on both sides of child support and spousal support disputes. In many cases we also help seek modification of existing support orders. Whatever your situation, contact us today at (281) 280-0100 if you live in Galveston or League City and would like to schedule a consultation.
Tad Nelson & Associates: Child Support and Spousal Support — Friendswood, Galveston, League City, Texas