Understanding Child Support

It was Socrates’ opinion, “I advise everyone to get married.  If your spouse is good, you will be happy.  If your spouse is bad, you will become a philosopher.” Child support makes all of us philosophers. 


The short explanation. Things began at that time you, your spouse and your children lived in one residence and struggled to pay bills.  Now the same family is spending money for two residences, and it is impossible to make ends meet. The person paying child support sends off a week’s paycheck, more or less, as child support.  He or she also makes a payment for the health insurance for the children.   With 1/3 to 1/2 of the paycheck being deducted from a paycheck, the person paying child support cannot get started again.  


The person receiving child support knows that 1 1/4 paychecks is not going to pay the bills that 2 paychecks had trouble paying earlier. The words, “I need help with daycare”, does not add to the amount of child support. There are exceptions, of course, but do not plan on receiving more child support than is on the Texas Standard Child Support chart.


The longer explanation begins with the Attorney General of Texas calculating the “net income” of the person paying child support.  From the Attorney General’s tax chart, the payor then pays 20% of net pay for one child, 25% of net pay for two children, and 30% of net pay for three children.  This is the Attorney General of Texas’ estimate of someone’s “net pay”, not the actual “net pay”.  Car loans and other common deductions are not recognized by the Attorney General of Texas. The costs of the health insurance may be more than the amount of child support itself.


All child support payments are sent to the “Attorney General, P.O. Box 13499, Austin, Texas 78711-3499", who electronically deposits the child support into the bank account of the person with custody of the children. The Attorney General also keeps a record of all payments and all failures to pay.


All child support payments are deducted directly from the paycheck before the person paying the child support ever sees the check.  There is no reason to ask, “Where’s the check?”  When the company pays its employee, the company also sends out a check for child support.  It is a company deal.


When an employee gets a paycheck, the amount and the deductions are reported to the Comptroller’s computer and then sent to the Attorney General’s computer.  The Attorney General has the payroll records; it knows the payor’s wages.


Summary:  Children need support.  There is not enough money to go around.  The system may hold together, if everyone does their part.