Helping You Determine Child Support In Houston

If you receive a regular paycheck, anyone can use your W-2 form, the Texas child support worksheet and a calculator to quickly determine what your child support payments will be. However, if your earnings fluctuate, your possession schedule differs from a standard possession order, if you are a high wage-earner, or if your children have special needs which require more financial support, calculating child support payments can be very complex.

At The Haston Law Firm, P.C., in Houston, Texas, we pride ourselves on our ability to handle even the most complex legal matters involving children and child support issues. We represent both payers and receivers of child support in North Houston and in other nearby communities.

Guidance For Complex Child Support Issues

Some of the issues most common issues in complex child support are:

• When the paying party (the obligor) owns a business or has a jointly owned company, he or she may have control over how money flows into personal accounts, W-2 forms and tax returns. This makes it possible for the obligor to manipulate his or her income.
• When the obligor is paid bonuses and commissions, earnings may fluctuate and determining a fair amount of child support may be difficult.

If you can’t figure out what someone makes, you can impute income based on the person’s lifestyle and monthly expenses such as mortgage, house and other monthly payments.

What If My Child Has Needs That Go Beyond Standard Child Support Guidelines?

If a child has additional needs that go beyond what the normal amount of child support will cover, then the court will look at the total proven needs of the child and determine how those needs can be met. Where there is a shortfall in support, the court will look at all relevant factors, including the comparative incomes of the parties.

If a child is permanently disabled, a court may order that a parent continue to pay child support even after the child has turned 18, as long as that disability continues. However, a parent must invoke the power of the court to continue this support before the child turns 18.

At The Haston Law Firm, P.C., we will guide you through these complex issues as well as help you with child support modifications. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Send us an email or call us locally at 281-653-7748 or toll free at 866-470-4816.