One thing that often ends up playing a major controlling role in child support matters here in Texas are Texas’ statutory child support guidelines. These are a list of guidelines for the calculation of child support. Courts in the state generally follow these guidelines pretty closely when coming up with child support awards.
In child support calculations under these guidelines, one thing that is a very important factor is how much in the way of “net resources” a parent has. State law has specific rules regarding what is to be included in a parent’s net resources.
Most forms of income a parent receives are included in net resources. However, there are a few types of income that are not considered to be a part of a parent’s net resources. Some examples are:
- Payments a parent receives for providing foster care to a child.
- Benefits from federal public assistance programs, like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
- Accounts receivable.
- Return of principle or capital.
As this aspect of the calculation of net resources illustrates, there are a variety of different complex and technical rules that are part of child support calculations under the statutory guidelines. These different rules can end up having some pretty big impacts.
There are many questions a parent who is heading into child support proceedings may have regarding the statutory child support guidelines, including:
- What child support obligation would likely be calculated under the guidelines given my family’s situation?
- When can courts stray from the guidelines?
- Might a deviation from the guidelines be appropriate in my case?
Texas child support attorneys can help answer child support guideline questions parents have.