Williamson County Child Support Attorney

Child support in Texas is built on a formula, and that formula leaves less room for negotiation than most parents expect, though it leaves plenty of room for fights over what counts as income, who pays for health coverage, and whether an old order still fits. The Law Office of Oprea & Weber handles child support cases for parents throughout Williamson County, including establishing orders, modifying them, and enforcing them when payments stop.

If you are searching for a Williamson County child support attorney, you are probably in one of three places: you are about to file for divorce or a custody case and need to know what the number will be, you already have an order that no longer matches your life, or you are owed money that is not being paid. Each situation moves differently in the Williamson County district courts in Georgetown, and the right first step depends on which one you are in.

How Texas Calculates Child Support for Williamson County Parents

Texas uses a percentage-of-income model. The court starts with the paying parent’s monthly net resources, then applies a percentage based on how many children that parent is obligated to support: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five, and not less than 40% for six or more. If the paying parent’s net resources are very low, a separate lower schedule applies, starting at 15% for one child.

The percentages only apply up to a ceiling on monthly net resources, and that ceiling is adjusted by the state every few years. Income above the ceiling is not automatically ignored, but the guideline amount is presumed reasonable only up to it. A court can order more when a child’s needs justify it, and a parent asking for that has to show why.

“Net resources” is broader than a paycheck. It includes wages and salary, and it also captures commissions, overtime, tips, and bonuses at full value. For self-employed parents and business owners, the fight is usually about what the business really produces versus what the owner chooses to pay himself or herself. That is where discovery matters: tax returns, bank statements, and business records. Williamson County has plenty of small business owners, contractors, and commission-based professionals, and these cases rarely come down to a single pay stub.

The percentage also changes if the paying parent supports other children in a different household. The court accounts for that, which is one reason two parents with the same salary can have different guideline amounts. And the guidelines are a starting point, not a cage. A court may depart from them when applying the formula would be unjust or inappropriate for the particular child, for example when a child has extraordinary medical or educational needs.

Why Choose The Law Office of Oprea & Weber for Child Support Cases

The Law Office of Oprea & Weber is a boutique divorce and family law firm serving clients in Williamson County, Travis County, Hays County, and Bastrop County, along with 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 translates directly into child support work when the dispute turns on business income, deferred compensation, or a financial picture that takes real digging to understand. 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 when a support ruling needs to be defended or challenged on legal grounds, the appellate skills are already in the building.

What clients notice day to day is access. Your attorney personally handles your case from the first consultation to the final decree, and the firm keeps its caseload intentionally manageable so you are not passed to layers of staff or junior associates. Communication is direct and in plain language. Clients describe the firm as knowledgeable, thorough, and caring, and one client wrote that Kevin “translates legal language into applicable information.” Kevin also mediates family law disputes and represents clients in mediation, which gives him a clear view of what a workable support agreement looks like before a judge ever has to decide it.

The firm prepares every case as though it may be tried, and still pushes for cooperative resolution when the other side is willing. For child support, that combination matters: a well-documented income picture gives you leverage in negotiation, and a settlement that is drafted precisely holds up later.

Situations That Bring Williamson County Parents to a Child Support Lawyer

• Support in a Divorce: Child support is set as part of the final decree, usually alongside conservatorship and possession terms. Because the schedule a parent has affects the overall picture, support and parenting time should be negotiated together rather than one at a time.
• Unmarried Parents and SAPCR Suits: Parents who were never married can ask for support through a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship, but the father generally must be legally established first. Paternity and support are often decided in the same case.
• Modification After Income Changes: A job loss, a significant raise, or a new child can all shift what is fair. The route you use depends on how long the current order has been in place and how far it sits from the guideline amount.
• Self-Employed and Business-Owner Obligors: When a parent controls how income is reported, the real work is tracing actual earnings through tax filings, bank records, and business expenses that may be personal in disguise.
• Enforcement of Unpaid Support: When an order is being ignored, the remedy is an enforcement action in the court that issued it, not a new case. Records of what was ordered and what was actually paid are the foundation.
• Medical Support and Extraordinary Needs: Health insurance, uncovered medical costs, and therapy or special education needs are part of the support picture, and a court can order more than the base percentage when a child’s needs call for it.
• Support for an Adult Disabled Child: Support does not automatically stop at adulthood for a child who cannot support himself or herself because of a disability, and the order should be drafted with that possibility in mind.
• Incarcerated Parents: A parent confined for more than 180 days can ask the court to revisit the order, because that length of incarceration counts as a material and substantial change.

What to Do Right Now If You Need to Set, Change, or Enforce Support

Start by pulling together documents before you do anything else. If you are the paying parent, that means recent pay stubs, the last couple of years of tax returns, and records of any bonus or side income. If you are the receiving parent, gather what you know about the other parent’s employment, plus your own records of childcare costs, health insurance premiums, and medical expenses for the children. If an order already exists, find it. Everything about modification or enforcement starts with the exact language of the current order.

Where you file depends on the situation. A new divorce or custody case is filed in the district court in the county where you qualify, and Williamson County family cases are heard by the district courts at the Williamson County Justice Center in Georgetown, including the 26th, 277th, 368th, 395th, 425th, and 480th District Courts. The District Clerk in Georgetown handles filings. If your existing order came out of a Travis County court, you will generally continue dealing with that court even if you now live in Williamson County, so it is worth confirming where the order was issued before assuming you can file locally. Parents who live in neighboring Hays or Bastrop County may face the same question in reverse.

Do not stop paying, and do not stop accepting payments informally. A common and costly mistake is a private deal between parents to lower or skip support. Without a signed court order, the original amount keeps accruing, and the parent who agreed to the break can still be held to the full figure later. On the other side, withholding court-ordered possession because support is unpaid is also a mistake; support and access are separate obligations, and a court expects each to be handled through the proper process.

If you need a change, timing matters. A modification generally is available once three years have passed since the order was signed or last modified and the current amount differs from the guideline figure by either 20 percent or $100. Without that three-year gap, you can still ask the court to revisit support based on a material and substantial change in circumstances, and no waiting period applies to that route. If your existing order was an agreed amount that departed from the guidelines, the court will want proof that circumstances have actually changed since it was signed. Support is generally not retroactive to before the date a modification case is filed, so waiting costs real money.

Changing a Child Support Order Without Reopening Everything

Parents often assume a modification request puts every part of the order on the table. It does not have to. Child support can be modified on its own, separate from conservatorship and possession, and each has its own standard. Changing who has the right to designate the child’s primary residence, or changing the possession schedule, requires a material and substantial change in circumstances and a showing that the change is in the child’s best interest. Support follows those changes, but it is not required to be litigated together.

That distinction matters strategically. A parent who wants support lowered because of a job loss should not be dragged into a custody fight, and a parent seeking a larger share of possession should understand that the support number will likely be recalculated if the schedule shifts. Orders entered before the expanded standard possession schedule became the default for new orders do not update automatically; a parent who wants the newer schedule has to file to modify the existing order. Because support, possession, and residence interact, we look at the whole structure of an order before recommending which piece to change.

Child Support Questions We Hear From Williamson County Parents

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

The starting point is a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly net resources: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more, applied up to a state-adjusted ceiling. The actual figure depends on net resources, other children being supported, and health insurance or medical support arrangements. A court may depart from the guidelines when they would be unjust or inappropriate.

What counts as income for child support?

Much more than base salary. Wages, overtime, commissions, tips, and bonuses all count in full, along with other compensation for personal services. For business owners, the court looks at what the business actually produces for the owner, which is why financial records matter so much in those cases.

Can we agree on a different amount than the guidelines?

Yes, parents can reach an agreed support amount, and a judge will review it for approval. But an agreed figure that departs from the guidelines is harder to change later, because the court will require proof of a material and substantial change since the order was signed.

When does child support end in Texas?

Generally when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, as long as the child is enrolled and attending. Support for a child with a disability who cannot support himself or herself may continue beyond that point.

How soon can I ask to change my order?

You can ask to modify support on the basis of a material and substantial change in circumstances at any time, with no waiting period. Alternatively, if three years have passed since the order was signed or last modified and the amount differs from the guideline by 20 percent or $100, you may qualify without proving a change in circumstances.

Does a prison sentence reduce child support?

It can. Incarceration for more than 180 days counts as a material and substantial change in circumstances, which opens the door to a modification request. It does not automatically reduce the order, so the parent still has to file.

What if the other parent is self-employed and hides income?

This is a discovery problem, and it is common. We request tax returns, bank and credit card statements, business records, and sometimes depose the parent. Personal expenses run through a business, cash income, and sudden drops in reported earnings around the time a case is filed all draw attention.

Can I stop paying support if the other parent will not let me see the kids?

No. Support and possession are separate obligations. If your possession rights are being denied, the remedy is an enforcement or modification action on that issue, not withholding payment, which can expose you to enforcement and arrears.

If my ex lives in a different county, where do I file to change support?

It depends on where the existing order was issued and who still lives where. The court that issued the order generally keeps authority over it, so a parent who moved to Williamson County from Travis County may still need to deal with the original court. Confirming this before filing avoids wasted time and cost.

Do I need a lawyer for a simple support modification?

Many parents try it on their own, but small mistakes with income calculations, health insurance allocation, or the effective date can cost thousands over the life of an order. If the other parent has counsel, or if income is anything other than a plain salary, having an attorney helps. Because support changes are generally not retroactive before the filing date, delay is expensive.

Can a stepparent or non-parent seek support or custody?

Texas narrowed standing for non-parents such as stepparents to seek custody or possession, and the law now looks to whether the person has had exclusive care, control, and possession of the child. A stepparent in that position should get advice early, because standing is decided before the merits.

Representing Child Support Clients Throughout Williamson County and Central Texas

Our work for Williamson County parents covers Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Hutto, Taylor, Liberty Hill, Florence, Jarrell, Granger, Bartlett, Thrall, and Weir, along with the unincorporated communities that make up the rest of the county. Because many families here have ties on both sides of the county line, we also help parents in neighboring Travis County, including Austin and Pflugerville, as well as Hays County and Bastrop County, where district courts sit in San Marcos and Bastrop. Whether a support order is being set for the first time, modified after a change in income, or enforced because payments have stopped, we handle it where the court of record is, wherever you now live.

Talk With a Williamson County Child Support Attorney

Child support affects your budget every month for years, and the details of how it is set, changed, and enforced are worth getting right the first time. If you need a Williamson County child support attorney who will personally handle your case from the first consultation through the final order, The Law Office of Oprea & Weber is ready to review your situation, explain what the numbers are likely to look like, and map out a plan. Call to schedule a consultation.