Paula Lock Smyth

Dallas Family Law & Divorce Attorney

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You are here: Home / Areas of Practice / Parenting Rights / Child Support

Child Support

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Providing for the needs of your children is one of the basic responsibilities that come with being a parent. For parents who do not live together or share financial resources, child support payments are required by the court to ensure that financial obligations are being fulfilled.

Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices is a family law firm serving Dallas, Texas, and the surrounding areas, that helps parents make sense of child support guidelines and advocates on their behalf to ensure that child support payments are reasonable, fair and adequately provide for a child’s needs.

Texas Child Support Guidelines

Child support in Texas is determined largely through the use of statutory guidelines, which base calculations on the net resources of the parent who will be paying child support. For parents paying child support to only one co-parent, the guidelines require 20 percent of the parent’s net income to be paid for one child and up to 40 percent of their net income to be paid for five or more children. If the parent paying child support has children with more than one co-parent, the calculations become more complex.

Often, parents are asked to attend child support conferences and are under the impression that they are obligated to reach a settlement for child support on that day. However, parents should not lock themselves into a support obligation without first consulting an experienced family law attorney who can explain their rights under Texas child support laws.

Child Support Modification

Parents are typically required to pay child support until a child has reached age 18 or has graduated from high school — whichever comes last. For children with special needs, the obligation for support may extend well past the age of majority, as long as the child support obligation was put in place before they turned 18.

For many parents, financial and family situations can change drastically over this extended course of time, making previous child support obligations unreasonable. Family law attorney Paula Lock Smyth continues to work with clients as time goes on, helping them petition for modification of child support awards when necessary and fighting to protect their rights every step of the way.

Contact A Dallas Child Support Lawyer

To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Dallas family law attorney about child support, contact Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices at 214-420-1800.

Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices

2911 Turtle Creek Blvd. Ste. 300
Dallas, Texas 75219

Phone: 214-420-1800
Fax: 214-420-1801

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Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd. Ste. 300
Dallas, Texas 75219

Phone: 214-420-1800
Fax: 214-420-1801

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The contents of this website does not imply legal advise or counsel and does not establish an attorney/client relationship. Please contact us for information on our policies regarding any relationship with clients, potential clients, or non-clients of our firm.

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  • Home
  • Firm Overview
    ▼
    • My Practice
    • Professional History
    • Memberships, Activities, Recognition
  • Practice Areas
    ▼
    • Divorce
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Mediation
    • Parenting Rights
    • Probate, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
  • FAQs
    ▼
    • Just Been Served Papers? Now What?
    • Child Support FAQs
    • How Long Does It Take To Get A Divorce?
    • Is There Such a Thing as Legal Separation?
  • Blog
  • Contact Us