How Much is Texas Child Support? Texas Child Support Guidelines

UPDATE ON TEXAS CHILD SUPPORT, EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2025:
A  new cap is effective for all child support orders finalized on or after September 1, 2025
The Texas child support cap increased from $9,200 to $11,700 in net monthly resources for orders finalized on or after September 1, 2025, following legislative changes to the Family Code. This significant adjustment, part of the regular Texas child support guideline review, means higher guideline support amounts for higher-income parents. For example, the new cap results in a maximum monthly payment of $2,340 for one child (20% of $11,700) and up to $4,680 for five or more children (40% of $11,700) under the standard guideline framework.

Texas Family Code §154.125(a)(1) requires that every six years the presumptive amount of net resources to which the child support guidelines apply shall be reviewed and adjusted for inflation by the Texas Office of the Texas Attorney General (OAG). That section sets out the formula for doing so based on the consumer price index. The last adjustment was done in 2019 when an amount of $9200 per month was established.

How does the “cap” work and what could this mean for you? If your net monthly resources are less than $11,700, the child support obligation will not change on Sept. 1. You are under the “current cap” and lower than the “new cap”. All stays the same. 

If you are currently going through litigation and your net monthly resources exceeds $11,700 and the Court orders child support prior to September 1, 2025, Texas Child Support Guidelines will mandate that the Court apply the appropriate child support percentage to the first $9,200 in net monthly resources based on the number of children.  But, if the Court orders child support after September 1, 2025, it will apply the new appropriate child support percentage to the first $11,700 in net monthly resources. 

Child support under the guidelines is determined by applying the applicable percentage, beginning at 20% for one child and increasing incrementally for each additional child, to the net resources amount. If a child support obligor has monthly net resources over $11,700, a party seeking above the guideline’s child support has the burden of proving to the court that additional support should be ordered according to factors set out in Texas Family Code §154.126.

Important to Know: The new “cap” increase of September 1, 2025 will not automatically increase the obligor’s existing child support obligation. Any change in child support standing before September 1, 2025, can only occur through the court with a modification order to increase the child support to the new “Cap” amount of $11,700. After September 1, 2025, any new suit for child support will be subject to the new “cap”. 

Please review the Texas Office of the Texas Attorney General (OAG) website for a child support calculator for the new breakdown: https://csapps.oag.texas.gov/monthly-child-support-calculator

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