The maximum child support in Texas under standard guidelines is calculated by applying a fixed percentage to the first $11,700 of a parent’s monthly net resources. That cap took effect September 1, 2025. At the cap, the presumptive maximum runs from $2,340 per month for one child to $4,680 per month for five or more children. A court can order more than that, but only when the receiving parent proves the child’s actual needs exceed the presumptive amount.
The $11,700 Net Resources Cap
Texas Family Code Section 154.125 tells courts to apply the guideline percentages only to net resources up to a maximum published by the state’s Title IV-D agency, the Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division.1State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources Income above the ceiling doesn’t feed the formula. A parent earning $25,000 a month has only the first $11,700 run through the standard calculation.
The cap is recalculated every six years to track inflation. The Title IV-D agency computes the new number from the percentage change in the consumer price index over the preceding 72 months, rounded to the nearest $50. The prior cap of $9,200 had been in place since 2019, and the September 2025 jump to $11,700 reflected six years of accumulated inflation.1State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources The next scheduled adjustment is 2031.
Presumptive Maximum Payments by Number of Children
The court applies a flat percentage to net resources based on how many children need support. At the $11,700 ceiling, those percentages produce the following monthly maximums under the standard guidelines:1State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources
- 1 child: 20% — $2,340
- 2 children: 25% — $2,925
- 3 children: 30% — $3,510
- 4 children: 35% — $4,095
- 5 children: 40% — $4,680
- 6 or more children: not less than the amount for five children
These are presumptive figures. Judges treat them as the correct amount unless one side presents evidence that a different number better serves the child’s interests. Most orders land squarely on these percentages.
How Net Resources Are Calculated
The cap applies to net resources, not gross pay. Getting to the right number is a two-step process: total everything the statute counts as income, then subtract the short list of allowed deductions.
Income the Court Counts
The statute is broad. Net resources start with 100% of wages, salary, commissions, overtime, tips, and bonuses, then add interest and dividends, royalties, self-employment earnings, and net rental income (rent minus operating expenses and mortgage payments, but not depreciation).2State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.062 – Net Resources
Courts also include severance, retirement benefits, pensions, trust income, annuities, capital gains, Social Security benefits, unemployment, disability and workers’ compensation, interest from promissory notes, gifts, prizes, and spousal maintenance received from another relationship.2State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.062 – Net Resources
Income Excluded
Return of principal or capital, accounts receivable, TANF and other federal public assistance, and foster care payments are all left out.2State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.062 – Net Resources Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and non-service-connected VA disability pension benefits are also excluded, even though most other Social Security and VA benefits do count.
Allowed Deductions
From that income total, the court subtracts:2State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.062 – Net Resources
- Social Security taxes
- Federal income tax, calculated using the rate for a single filer claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction, regardless of actual filing status
- State income tax (zero for Texas residents, relevant only when income is earned in another state)
- Union dues
- Health and dental insurance costs for the child, as ordered by the court
- Mandatory retirement contributions when the obligor doesn’t pay Social Security taxes, which is common for some government employees
Voluntary 401(k) contributions, car payments, credit card bills, and mortgage costs are not deductible. The list is deliberately narrow. The Office of the Attorney General publishes annual tax charts that spell out federal tax and Social Security withholding at each income level, so the math is standardized.3Office of the Attorney General of Texas. 2026 Tax Charts
Going Above the Cap: High-Earner Cases
The $11,700 ceiling is not an absolute maximum on what a wealthy parent can be ordered to pay. Section 154.126 lets a court award more when the receiving parent proves the child’s actual needs exceed the presumptive amount.4State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.126 – Application of Guidelines to Additional Net Resources
The analysis moves in layers. First, the court runs the standard percentage against the $11,700 cap to produce the presumptive award. Then the receiving parent puts on evidence of the child’s “proven needs,” meaning the actual expenses required to maintain the standard of living the child would have had if the family had stayed together. Private school tuition, specialized medical care, competitive athletics, and travel are common line items. If proven needs exceed the presumptive award, the court subtracts the presumptive amount from the total proven need and may order additional support drawn from income above the cap.
The statute sets an outer limit: the total order cannot exceed the greater of the presumptive guideline amount or 100% of the child’s proven needs.4State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.126 – Application of Guidelines to Additional Net Resources Vague claims about lifestyle don’t carry weight. Every dollar of claimed need has to be documented, which is why above-the-cap cases usually involve financial experts and detailed expense schedules on both sides.
When the Maximum Is Lower Than the Cap
Two situations reduce the ceiling below the standard figures.
Low-Income Scale
When an obligor’s monthly net resources fall at or below a threshold set by statute, a reduced percentage table applies:1State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 154.125 – Application of Guidelines to Net Resources
- 1 child: 15%
- 2 children: 20%
- 3 children: 25%
- 4 children: 30%
- 5 children: 35%
- 6 or more: not less than the amount for five children
Each rate is five points lower than the standard scale.
Children in Multiple Households
When a parent supports children from more than one relationship, Section 154.128 uses a separate table so the standard percentages don’t simply stack. The court first deducts support owed for children outside the current case, then applies adjusted percentages to the remaining net resources.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 154 – Child Support An obligor with one child before the court and one other child elsewhere pays 17.50% instead of 20%. With two before the court and two elsewhere, the rate drops to 15%. The scale keeps sliding as the total number of children grows.
Modifying an Order Under the New Cap
An order signed under the old $9,200 cap doesn’t recalculate itself. A parent has to ask.
There are two paths. The first is showing that circumstances have materially and substantially changed since the order was signed, such as a job loss, a major raise, a change in the child’s needs, or a new disability. The second is the three-year review: if at least three years have passed since the order was entered or last modified, either parent can ask for a recalculation under current guidelines, provided the new amount would differ from the existing order by at least 20% or $100 per month.6State of Texas. Texas Code FAM 156.401 – Modification of Child Support The September 2025 cap increase alone may push many older orders past that threshold.
A review can be initiated by filing in family court or by requesting one through the OAG’s Child Support Division. The OAG route is typically simpler for parents who already have an open case with the agency.