Child support in Collin County, Texas follows the statewide percentage-of-income formula in the Texas Family Code, with cases filed through the Collin County District Clerk in McKinney and payments routed through the Texas State Disbursement Unit. Guideline support is calculated on the paying parent’s monthly net resources up to a cap of $11,700.1Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Monthly Child Support Calculator Whether you’re opening a new case, collecting on an existing one, or asking to change the amount, the same court system and state infrastructure handle it.
How the Amount Is Calculated
Texas sets guideline support as a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly net resources:
- One child: 20%
- Two children: 25%
- Three children: 30%
- Four children: 35%
- Five children: 40%
- Six or more: not less than the amount for five
These percentages apply to net resources up to $11,700 per month.2State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources of Obligor A parent earning at the cap with one child would owe $2,340 per month under the guidelines. Judges treat these numbers as presumptively correct and apply them unless someone shows a different amount better fits the child’s needs.
What Counts as Net Resources
Net resources start with almost all income: wages, salary, commissions, overtime, bonuses, tips, self-employment earnings, interest, dividends, royalties, rental income, retirement benefits, unemployment benefits, and workers’ compensation. From that total, the court subtracts Social Security taxes, federal income tax (calculated as a single filer with the standard deduction), state income tax, union dues, and the cost of court-ordered health or dental insurance for the child.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 154.062 – Net Resources Parents who don’t pay Social Security tax also get required retirement contributions subtracted. The guideline percentages apply to what’s left.
Low Earners and High Earners
If net resources fall below $1,000 per month, a reduced schedule kicks in: 15% for one child, 20% for two, 25% for three, 30% for four, and 35% for five or more.2State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources of Obligor
When a parent earns above $11,700 in net resources, the court first applies the guideline percentages to the cap. It can order more only if the custodial parent proves the child has needs beyond what the presumptive amount covers, and even then the order cannot exceed the greater of the presumptive amount or 100% of the child’s proven needs.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 154.126 – Application of Guidelines to Additional Net Resources Proving those needs takes detailed expense documentation, and judges vary in how they read the standard.
Medical and Dental Support
Every Texas child support order has to address health care. Employer-sponsored insurance gets priority when it’s available at a reasonable cost, which the statute defines as coverage for the child that costs no more than 9% of the paying parent’s annual resources.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154.1815 – Determination of Reasonable Cost If the paying parent’s job offers a plan under that threshold, the court will usually order them to enroll the child.
When the paying parent doesn’t have affordable coverage, the court can order the other parent to carry insurance and require the paying parent to reimburse the premium through additional withholding. If neither parent has access to reasonable employer coverage, the court can order cash medical support toward uninsured expenses.6State of Texas. Texas Family Code 154.182 – Health Care Coverage Dental coverage works the same way. Both parents must disclose their insurance options before the court finalizes the order.
Opening a Case: AG’s Office or Private Filing
You have two routes. The Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division offers free help locating an absent parent, establishing paternity through DNA testing, and setting up, modifying, or enforcing an order.7Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Paternity, Child Support and You The AG’s office also has enforcement tools private attorneys and self-represented parents can’t access directly, including tax refund intercepts, passport holds, lottery winnings seizures, and credit bureau reporting.
The trade-off is speed and attention. The AG’s division carries a statewide caseload, so cases often move slower than they would with private counsel. Two small fees apply to AG-managed cases: a $35 annual service fee deducted from support payments (for parents who haven’t received public assistance and collect at least $550 per year), and a $3 monthly fee from the State Disbursement Unit.7Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Paternity, Child Support and You
Filing in Collin County
Filing on your own or through a private attorney means opening a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship, or SAPCR. If paternity hasn’t been established and no Acknowledgment of Paternity has been signed, a paternity case may need to come first.8TexasLawHelp.org. Petition in Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) If an order about the children already exists, the right filing is a modification instead.
What to Gather Before Filing
You’ll need Social Security numbers for both parents and each child, current addresses for both parties, recent pay stubs, W-2s, and tax returns, plus details on each parent’s health insurance options and any childcare expenses. The court calculates net resources from these documents, and gaps or outdated records drag the process out.
E-Filing, Fees, and Service
Texas requires all family law cases to be filed electronically through eFileTexas.gov.9eFileTexas.Gov. Official E-Filing System for Texas Filings go to the Collin County District Clerk’s office at 2100 Bloomdale Rd. in McKinney.10Collin County. District Clerk A new SAPCR costs $350; a motion to modify or enforce an existing order costs $80.11Collin County. Collin County District Court Fees – Civil 2026
After filing, the other parent has to be formally served with notice, usually by a private process server or constable. The respondent then has a deadline to answer. Cases regularly stall for months when service is bungled or the other parent is hard to find, so getting it done correctly the first time matters.
How Payments Flow
All Texas child support payments go through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU), which tracks every payment in and out and keeps the official record.12Texas Access. Child Support The Collin County District Clerk’s child support office enters local cases into the SDU system and can pull pay histories for parents, attorneys, and the AG’s office.13Collin County. District Clerk – Child Support
Most orders include wage withholding, which directs the paying parent’s employer to deduct support from each paycheck and send it to the SDU.14Texas Public Law. Texas Code – Withholding from Earnings for Child Support The receiving parent can set up direct deposit through the SDU and skip the wait for a paper check.15Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Direct Deposit Keep everything in the SDU system. Cash payments passed directly between parents leave no official record, and the paying parent may have no proof they paid when a dispute comes up later.
When a Parent Falls Behind
Texas enforcement tools escalate quickly. A court can order wage withholding from a delinquent parent, suspend their driver’s license and professional licenses, and place liens on bank accounts, property, and retirement plans. The most severe remedy is contempt of court, which can carry jail time. As an alternative to jail, a judge can place the parent on community supervision for up to ten years with conditions like financial counseling, employment services, and a schedule for catching up.
Federal Penalties and Interest
Federal consequences stack on top. When arrears exceed $2,500, the U.S. Department of State can deny a new passport application or revoke an existing passport.16U.S. Department of State. Passports and Child Support Debt Clearing the hold after payment still takes at least two to three weeks while the state notifies federal agencies. The Treasury can also intercept federal tax refunds through the Federal Tax Offset Program once arrears hit certain thresholds.
Past-due support accrues simple interest at 6% per year from the date each payment was due until it’s paid.17State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 157.265 – Interest on Child Support Arrearages On a large balance that compounds into real money quickly. Filing for bankruptcy won’t help: child support is one of the few debts that cannot be discharged in Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or any other form of bankruptcy.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S. Code 523 – Exceptions to Discharge
Changing the Order
Child support orders can be revisited. Texas gives you two independent paths. The first is showing that circumstances have materially and substantially changed since the last order, such as a major income shift for either parent, new children the paying parent is legally responsible for, a change in the child’s health insurance, or a change in living arrangements.19State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 156.401 – Modification of Child Support Order
The second doesn’t require any particular change. If at least three years have passed since the order was last set and running the current guidelines would produce an amount at least 20% or $100 different from what’s in place, the court can modify.19State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 156.401 – Modification of Child Support Order This catches gradual income shifts that don’t look like a single qualifying event.
Modifications have to be filed in the court that issued the original order, which keeps exclusive jurisdiction. In Collin County that’s the District Court, with an $80 filing fee.11Collin County. Collin County District Court Fees – Civil 2026 You’ll need updated financial documentation. One caution: if the original amount was an agreed figure that departed from the guidelines, only the material-and-substantial-change path is available, not the three-year recalculation.
When Child Support Ends
Support in Texas doesn’t automatically stop on the child’s 18th birthday if the child is still enrolled in and attending high school. It continues until graduation or until the child stops meeting enrollment requirements. Support also ends if the child marries, enlists and begins active duty, is legally emancipated, or dies.20State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 154.006 – Termination of Duty of Support If the parents remarry each other, the obligation ends automatically.
Ending current support does not wipe out an unpaid balance. Arrears survive after the child ages out, and 6% interest keeps running on them until they’re paid. Courts collect on arrears long after a child turns 18.