Georgetown Child Support Attorney

The Law Office of Oprea & Weber helps parents in Georgetown and across Williamson County set up, defend, enforce, and change child support orders, working alongside the firm’s broader divorce, custody, and paternity practice throughout Central Texas. A Georgetown child support attorney spends much of the day on questions that sound simple and rarely are: what counts as income, how many children the formula assumes, and what happens when one parent’s paycheck or life changes after the order is signed.

Child support in Texas starts with a formula, but the formula is only a starting point. The guideline percentage applies to the paying parent’s net monthly resources, and “resources” reaches well beyond a base salary. Commissions, overtime, tips, and bonuses count at full value, and a court can look at other income as well. For Georgetown families, where many parents commute to Austin or work in the technology, healthcare, and construction sectors along the I-35 corridor, income is often a mix of salary, bonus, equity, and side work. How that income gets documented and characterized can move the number more than any other single issue.

Orders filed here are heard in the Williamson County district courts and county courts at law in Georgetown. Whether you are asking for support, being asked to pay it, or trying to fix an order that no longer fits, the sections below explain how the numbers work and what to do about them.

How Texas Calculates Child Support for Williamson County Parents

The Texas guidelines apply a fixed percentage to the paying parent’s monthly net resources, and the percentage depends on how many children that parent is ordered to support in this case: 20 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, 30 percent for three, 35 percent for four, 40 percent for five, and no less than the five-child percentage for six or more. When the paying parent’s net resources are very low, a lower schedule applies, starting at 15 percent for one child. The guidelines also apply only up to a statutory cap on net resources, and that cap is adjusted periodically by the Attorney General based on inflation, so the figure you read in an older article may no longer be the current one.

Judges can depart from the guideline amount when applying it would be unjust or inappropriate, but the guideline figure is presumed reasonable. If you want a different number, someone has to make the case with evidence. That is where an attorney earns their keep. We help clients assemble pay stubs, tax returns, and business records so that net resources are calculated accurately, and we look for the adjustments that apply, such as support the paying parent already owes to children in another household or a child’s extraordinary medical or educational needs.

Why Choose Oprea & Weber for Child Support in Georgetown

The Law Office of Oprea & Weber is a boutique divorce and family law firm serving Georgetown and Williamson County, along with Travis, Hays, and Bastrop Counties and the rest of Central Texas. Kevin Weber, Attorney, and Karen Oprea, Attorney, both graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. Kevin trained in complex commercial litigation and negotiation at Latham & Watkins in Manhattan, which is useful experience when a support case turns on a business owner’s finances or a disputed valuation of what a parent really earns. Karen has briefed and argued cases before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the Texas Courts of Appeals, and the New York appellate courts, so she knows how a trial record gets reviewed and what makes an order hold up.

Support disputes are rarely only about money. They tie into possession schedules, medical expenses, and the day-to-day relationship between two parents who will be dealing with each other for years. We keep our caseload intentionally manageable, and your attorney personally handles your case from the first consultation to the final order, with no handoff to layers of staff or junior associates. You get direct attorney access and explanations in plain language. Clients describe the firm as knowledgeable, thorough, and caring, and one parent who came to us in a custody matter said Kevin helped hold them steady through a very emotional situation.

We prepare every case as though it may be tried, because that preparation is what gives you leverage at the table. But we also believe cooperation usually serves families better. Where two parents can talk, we pursue negotiated and mediated agreements, and Kevin both mediates family law disputes and represents clients in mediation, which helps him see how to build agreements that last.

Child Support Issues We Handle for Georgetown Parents

Establishing a First Order: Unmarried parents, parents who never went to court, and parents whose divorce left support unaddressed can ask the court to set support through a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, which also resolves conservatorship and possession.
Disputes Over Income: Self-employed parents, commission earners, and owners of closely held businesses often have income that does not match their tax return, and we dig into bank records, expense treatment, and perks paid by the business.
Modification After a Change: An order can be changed after three years if the monthly amount differs from the guideline figure by 20 percent or $100, or earlier on a material and substantial change such as a job loss, a serious illness, or a new child to support. If the original order was an agreed amount that departed from the guidelines, the court generally needs a material and substantial change to revisit it.
Enforcement of Unpaid Support: When a parent stops paying or pays only part of what is owed, we file enforcement actions to collect arrears and bring the order back into compliance.
Health Insurance and Medical Costs: Orders address who carries the child’s health coverage and how uninsured expenses are divided, and these provisions are often more contentious than the monthly figure.
Incarceration and Support: A parent confined for more than 180 days has a statutory basis to seek modification, and acting promptly matters because arrears can build quickly.
Support After the Child Reaches Adulthood: Support generally runs until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, and may continue for a child with a disability who cannot support themselves.
Possession Schedule Overlap: Changes to the possession schedule, including adoption of the Expanded Standard Possession Order, can bear on the broader support picture, and parents with existing orders must file to change to that schedule.

What to Do Right Now If Support Is in Question

Start with paper. Gather your last two or three years of tax returns, recent pay stubs, any bonus or commission statements, and records of what you currently pay or receive, including health insurance premiums for the child. If you are the receiving parent and the other parent’s income is murky, note what you know about their employer, side work, or business, because those details tell us where to look. If you already have an order, pull it out and read the exact amount, the start date, and the language on medical support.

Do not stop paying because your circumstances changed, and do not agree informally to pay less or to skip payments. Only a signed court order changes what you owe. A handshake agreement or text exchange does not erase the obligation, and unpaid support can accumulate with consequences. If your income dropped or you lost a job, the right move is to file a modification promptly, because relief generally cannot reach back before the filing date.

Cases for Georgetown residents are filed with the District Clerk in Williamson County, and the district courts there include the 26th, 277th, 368th, 395th, 425th, and 480th, alongside County Courts at Law One through Five. If the other parent lives in a neighboring county, where the case belongs can turn on where the child lives, so talk to a lawyer before filing. Parents in neighboring counties may find themselves in the Travis County courts in Austin, the Hays County courts in San Marcos, or the Bastrop County courts in Bastrop, and we practice in all of them.

A common mistake is treating support as something to settle in one phone call and fix later. Orders last for years, and the language about medical expenses, tax dependency, and termination is hard to change. Another is assuming a lower-income parent owes nothing; Texas guidelines have a schedule specifically for low-income obligors. Bring your documents to a consultation and we will tell you where the guideline number lands and what could change it.

Modifying and Enforcing Orders as Life Changes

An order that fit well on the day it was signed can stop fitting. Two routes are open for changing child support: the three-year route, which looks at whether the current amount is off from the guideline figure by 20 percent or $100, and the material and substantial change route, which has no waiting period but requires real evidence that circumstances shifted since the last order. A new job at higher pay, a layoff, a disability, a second child, or a change in who actually has the children most of the time can all qualify. We evaluate which route fits and build the case with documentation rather than assertions.

Possession and support also affect each other in practice. Changing the child’s primary residence requires showing a material and substantial change and that the change is in the child’s best interest, and in many cases filed within a year of the earlier order it also requires an affidavit supporting the request. A child who is at least 12 can tell the judge in chambers which parent they prefer, and that is one recognized ground, though it is never decisive on its own. Because support follows the primary residence, these issues often get litigated together.

Enforcement is the other side of the coin. When a parent stops paying, the receiving parent has tools: a motion to enforce, collection of arrears, and, in appropriate cases, contempt. We pursue these when negotiation has failed, and we also defend parents who are being accused of non-payment and need to show what they actually paid and what they could afford.

Georgetown Child Support Questions Parents Ask

How much child support will I pay or receive in Texas?

The starting point is a percentage of the paying parent’s net monthly resources, up to the statutory cap: 20 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, 30 percent for three, 35 percent for four, and 40 percent for five. The final figure depends on net resources, other support obligations, and whether the court finds a reason to depart from the guidelines.

What counts as income for child support?

Wages and salary count at 100 percent, as do commissions, overtime, tips, and bonuses. Other forms of income can also be included, which is why a complete picture of a parent’s finances matters, particularly for business owners.

Does child support change when the other parent has more time with the children?

Not automatically. The guidelines are built around the standard framework, and a possession schedule that is closer to equal can prompt arguments about whether the guideline amount is appropriate. Any change in the amount has to come through an agreement approved by the court or a ruling, not an informal arrangement.

Can we agree to a different amount than the guidelines?

Parents can agree, and the court will review the agreement. If the agreed amount departs from the guidelines, it is harder to modify later, because the court generally needs a material and substantial change in circumstances instead of the simpler three-year test.

When does child support end?

Generally when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever comes later, provided the child remains enrolled and meets attendance requirements. Support for a child with a disability who cannot support themselves can continue.

Can I change my order if I lose my job?

You can ask the court, but the order stays in force until a judge changes it. File promptly, because a modification generally cannot reach back before the date you filed.

What if the other parent hides income or works for cash?

We use discovery to obtain bank statements, tax filings, and business records, and a court can consider evidence of actual earning ability. Lifestyle, deposits, and expense patterns often tell a different story than a reported salary.

My child’s father and I were never married. Can I still get support?

Yes, but parentage must be legally established first. If there is a presumed father, a parentage case generally must be brought by the fourth anniversary of the child’s birth unless an exception applies. A signed acknowledgment of paternity can be rescinded within 60 days, and afterward challenged only on grounds such as fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact.

Does a parent who is jailed still owe support?

Yes, until the order is modified. Incarceration for more than 180 days is recognized as a material and substantial change that supports a modification request, but the parent has to file for relief.

How long does a child support case take in Williamson County?

It depends on whether the parents can agree and how busy the assigned court is. Agreed orders can move quickly once the paperwork is ready, while contested cases involving business income or disputed possession take longer. We prepare for both so you are not caught flat-footed.

Should I hire a lawyer if the amount seems straightforward?

Often yes, because the monthly number is only part of the order. Medical support, tax issues, and termination language can cost or save thousands over the life of the order, and those terms are difficult to reopen once signed.

Can a stepparent or grandparent seek support or custody?

Texas narrowed standing for non-parents in recent changes, and the law now looks to exclusive care, control, and possession of the child. Whether a non-parent can bring a case is a fact-specific question worth asking an attorney directly.

Serving Child Support Clients Across Georgetown and Williamson County

Our work for Georgetown families extends through Williamson County, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, Taylor, Hutto, Florence, Jarrell, Granger, Weir, Bartlett, and Thrall, along with the neighborhoods and subdivisions around Sun City and the communities near Lake Georgetown. Many of our clients live in one of these towns and work in Austin, so we are used to cases where the parents live in different counties and the question of where to file matters.

We also serve parents in neighboring Travis County, including Austin, Pflugerville, Manor, and Lakeway; in Hays County, including San Marcos, Kyle, and Buda; and in Bastrop County, including Bastrop and Elgin. Across Central Texas, our child support representation covers the same ground: setting orders, defending against inflated figures, modifying orders that no longer fit, and enforcing orders that are being ignored.

Talk With a Georgetown Child Support Lawyer About Your Order

If you are trying to set up support, reduce an order that no longer fits your income, or collect what you are owed, a Georgetown child support lawyer at Oprea & Weber can walk you through the guideline numbers, tell you what evidence matters, and explain whether a negotiated resolution or a hearing makes more sense. Your attorney will handle your case personally from start to finish. Call to schedule a consultation and bring your most recent pay records and any existing order, and we will give you a clear picture of where you stand.