How the result is produced
How this child support calculator works
The result above applies the calculation described on this page to the figures entered. It cannot resolve disputed evidence, statutory eligibility, or a judge’s discretion. Read the limits below before using the number in a budget or discussion.
The calculation
Monthly net resources×Guideline percentage=Guideline base amount
The standard rates are 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five. For six or more, the order cannot be less than the five-child amount. The lower 15%–35% schedule applies only when monthly net resources are less than $1,000. The percentage applies to no more than $11,700 under the adjustment effective September 1, 2025.
Choose the correct schedule
Texas child support rates at and below $1,000 in net resources
The lower schedule applies when the obligor’s monthly net resources are less than $1,000. At exactly $1,000, use the standard schedule. The table assumes all children the obligor has a duty to support are in one household.
| Children in this case | $1,000 or more in net resources | Less than $1,000 in net resources |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | 20% | 15% |
| 2 children | 25% | 20% |
| 3 children | 30% | 25% |
| 4 children | 35% | 30% |
| 5 children | 40% | 35% |
| 6 or more | At least the five-child amount | At least the five-child amount |
Income and deductions
Do not substitute one pay stub’s take-home amount for net resources
Section 154.062 includes many forms of income and permits only its listed deductions. Average variable pay over a representative period rather than choosing an unusually high or low check.
Average the resources the statute includes
Wages, overtime, bonuses, commission, tips, self-employment income, net rent, investment income, retirement, unemployment, and other actual income may all belong in the starting figure.
Calculate federal tax by the statutory method
Use the current OAG chart for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction, not the withholding selected on a W-4.
Use the correct payroll deduction
Deduct Social Security tax. If the person does not pay Social Security tax, qualifying nondiscretionary retirement contributions may be used instead.
Enter only the child’s share of coverage
A qualifying child-attributable health or dental expense may be deducted. The order can still require coverage and uninsured-expense payments in addition to base support.
Example calculation
Two children and $5,700 in monthly net resources
- 1Average the monthly resources
The obligor receives $7,200 from wages and other recurring resources included by the statute.
- 2Subtract only permitted amounts
Properly calculated tax, Social Security, dues, and qualifying child coverage total $1,500.
- 3Find monthly net resources
$7,200 minus $1,500 leaves $5,700.
- 4Select the two-child standard rate
Because $5,700 is above the low-income threshold, the rate is 25% when there is no multiple-family adjustment.
- 5Calculate monthly base support
$5,700 multiplied by 25% is $1,425 before separate medical or dental support and any evidence-based deviation.
When another method is needed
The one-household percentage does not fit every support case
What the result applies
- The standard or low-income schedule
- The $11,700 guideline net-resource cap effective September 1, 2025
- The permitted deductions entered by the user
- The percentage for the selected number of children
Use a fuller calculation when the case has
- Children in another household
- A claim for proven needs above the cap
- A possible Social Security benefit credit
- Self-employment or disputed resources
- A requested deviation from the guideline
The judge may consider the child’s needs, each parent’s resources, possession time, travel, education, health care, and other duties of support. An amount above the cap requires proof of additional needs. Use a different calculation when the obligor supports children in another household or the child receives a Social Security benefit that may be credited.
Check the inputs
Use enough records to see a normal month, not an outlier
- Gather enough pay statements to show the pattern of overtime, bonuses, commission, tips, and other variable income.
- Use the latest tax return and the 2026 OAG chart for the correct employed or self-employed category.
- Keep proof of required union dues and the child-only share of medical and dental premiums.
- Identify existing support orders and every child in another household whom the obligor has a legal duty to support.
- Document a disability benefit, special need, travel cost, educational expense, or other fact offered as a reason to deviate.
Local filing facts for Bexar County
What Bexar County changes—and what it does not change—in this estimate
Texas Family Code Chapter 154 supplies the statewide support rules. The county controls the clerk, filing path, local charges, service options, and court instructions that surround a case. That distinction matters: changing the county does not change the percentage used above, but it can change the amount due when papers are filed or served.
Bexar County lists $350 for a divorce without children and $401 for one with children. Service, copies, and card charges are not part of those new-suit totals.
Office to check
Bexar County District Clerk
County seat or listed filing location: San AntonioNew-divorce filing total
$350 without children; $401 with children
Service, copies, and payment fees may be separate.Citation and county service
Confirm the citation charge with the clerk; confirm the available service methods and price
A signed waiver follows a different process and has legal consequences.Fee source checked
August 12, 2026
Bexar County District Clerk Fee ScheduleUse the statewide calculation, then confirm the local case steps
The number above is monthly base support only. A local filing total is not part of that monthly amount, and medical support, dental support, uninsured expenses, arrears, or a deviation may still appear separately in an order. A modification, enforcement action, or Attorney General matter may also follow a different filing path from a new divorce.
- Confirm that Bexar County District Clerk is the right office for the case type and filing location.
- Check the live schedule for a child-case add-on, citation issuance, service, copies, and card charges.
- Read any standing orders or local filing instructions before preparing temporary-support papers.
- Keep income records, permitted-deduction proof, and the current OAG tax chart with the support calculation.
Questions about this calculation
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Start with the paying parent’s monthly net resources and the number of children before the court. The standard rate is 20% for one child, 25% for two, and increases to 40% for five; a lower schedule applies when net resources are below $1,000. Other children and a court-approved deviation can change the result.
Does 50/50 parenting time erase child support in Texas?
No. Chapter 154 does not reduce the guideline by a fixed amount for each overnight. A judge may consider the possession schedule when deciding whether the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate, but equal time does not by itself make support zero.
What is the Texas child support net-resource cap in 2026?
The guideline percentages apply to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources under the adjustment effective September 1, 2025. If resources are higher, the court may add support only after considering the parents’ income and the child’s proven needs under §154.126.
What may be deducted when finding net resources?
Section 154.062 permits Social Security tax, federal income tax calculated under the statutory method, any state income tax actually paid, union dues, and qualifying medical or dental support expenses. Rent, car payments, credit cards, and most ordinary bills are not deductions from net resources.
How do other children change Texas child support?
Texas uses the multiple-family method in §§154.128 and 154.129 when the paying parent has a legal duty to support children in another household. Simply subtracting an existing payment from income can produce the wrong figure.
Are medical and dental support included in the percentage?
Usually not. The order normally addresses health and dental coverage, cash medical support when appropriate, and uninsured expenses separately from monthly base support. A qualifying child-only share of the premium may also be deducted when net resources are calculated.
Can a Texas child support order be changed later?
Yes, if the modification rules are met—for example, after a material and substantial change or in certain three-year review cases. The old amount remains due until the court signs a new order; an informal agreement between parents does not amend it.
Texas material cited on this page
Statutes and agency schedules
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 154
Sections 154.062 and 154.125 define net resources and the percentage schedules; the chapter also covers deviations, medical support, and children in more than one household.
- Texas Register — 2025 guideline cap adjustment
The Attorney General’s notice sets the guideline net-resource cap at $11,700 per month for orders governed by the September 1, 2025 adjustment.
- Texas OAG — 2026 tax charts
The employed and self-employed charts apply the tax assumptions required by §154.061 for 2026 calculations.
- Bexar County District Clerk
County filing instructions, fee schedules, and court information.