Changing, Enforcing and Ending Child Support in Texas

How do I modify child support in Dallas County?

You file a petition to modify in the court that issued the order, or ask the Office of the Attorney General to review the case if it is already open there. Texas Family Code § 156.401 allows a change on either of two grounds:

1. The circumstances of the child or a person affected by the order have materially and substantially changed since the order was made, or since the mediated or collaborative agreement it was based on was signed.
2. Three years have passed since the order was made or last modified, and the monthly amount differs by 20% or $100 from what the current guidelines would give.

One exception: if the parents agreed to an amount different from the guidelines, the three-year test does not apply, and the order can be modified only on a material and substantial change (Texas Family Code § 156.401(a-1)).

If both parents agree, an agreed order can be signed by the judge without a contested hearing. If they do not, the case can go to mediation and then to a hearing. John also handles changes to custody and possession on the modification and enforcement page.

Can child support be reduced if I lose my job?

Yes, a job loss can support a reduction, but only a court order reduces support. Until a new order is signed, the existing amount keeps coming due, and a court can only modify payments that accrue after the other parent is served with the case or appears in it.

That makes timing matter. A parent who waits months to file stays responsible for every month of the old amount. The court will also ask whether the job loss was voluntary and what the parent could earn now, because Texas can set support on earning potential when a parent is underemployed by choice.

Does child support automatically change when income increases?

No. A raise, a new job or a business that takes off does not change the order. The parent receiving support has to file a modification and prove a material and substantial change, or rely on the three-year and 20% or $100 test.

Parents can agree to adjust support informally, but an informal deal is not enforceable as a change to the order. If the paying parent sends less than the order says, the difference can still be collected later as arrears with interest. Putting any agreement in a signed modification order protects both sides.

A cap change does not adjust existing orders either. The move from $9,200 to $11,700 on September 1, 2025 applies to orders made from that date. A parent with an older order would need a modification to have the new cap considered.

What if my ex refuses to pay child support?

You can file a motion to enforce in court or ask the Attorney General to enforce the order. Texas gives the court strong tools:

• Income withholding from wages, including from a new employer
• Contempt of court, which can include jail time
• Suspension of driver's, professional and hunting or fishing licenses
• Liens on property and bank accounts
• Interception of federal tax refunds and denial of a passport for large arrears
• A money judgment for the full amount owed

The payment history from the State Disbursement Unit is usually the core evidence. Payments made directly to you in cash are harder to prove and often become the main dispute.

Contempt requires a clear, specific order and proof of each missed payment, so the wording of the original decree matters. A paying parent facing enforcement can raise defenses, such as an inability to pay that was not his or her fault, but the debt itself remains. Many enforcement cases end with an agreed payment plan on the arrears signed as a court order.

Can I collect unpaid child support from previous years?

Yes. Past-due support under an order stays owed as the years pass, and it earns 6% simple interest a year under Texas Family Code § 157.265. The court can confirm the total arrears, including interest, and enter a judgment that can be collected like other judgments.

Texas law does set deadlines once the child becomes an adult or the support obligation ends: a motion asking the court to confirm the arrears and enter a money judgment must be filed within 10 years after that date, and a motion for contempt within two years (Texas Family Code § 157.005). Separately, when there was never an order, a parent can ask for retroactive support; Texas presumes that up to four years before filing is reasonable (Texas Family Code § 154.131).

Can I stop paying child support when my child turns 18?

Only if the child has also graduated from high school. Texas Family Code § 154.001 sets support until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever happens later. Support can also end earlier if the child marries, is otherwise emancipated or dies.

A disabled child is the main exception: a court can order support to continue for an indefinite period. Any arrears remain owed after support ends, and income withholding may keep running until the court or the Attorney General processes the end of the obligation.

What happens to child support if the paying parent moves away?

The order stays in force wherever the parent goes. Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, a Texas order can be registered in the other state and enforced there, including through that state's wage withholding. Texas keeps exclusive authority to modify it as long as the child or either parent still lives in Texas.

Interstate and international support is a particular focus for John B. Polk, who has written professional articles and spoken at continuing legal education programs on it (see interstate and foreign orders).