Child support is one of the most practical questions a separating parent faces in New Braunfels: how much will be paid, for how long, and what happens if the payments stop. Texas answers most of those questions with a formula, but the inputs to that formula, and the exceptions to it, are where families in Comal County most often need help. Our family law attorneys help parents on both sides of the payment, whether support is being set for the first time, changed after a job loss or raise, or collected after months of missed checks.
How Texas Approaches Child Support
Texas law treats child support as the child’s right, not a payment between adults. Neither parent can waive it on the child’s behalf, and a judge reviews every support figure before it becomes an order.
Most orders follow the state guidelines. The court looks at the paying parent’s monthly net resources and applies a percentage based on the number of children. For one child the guideline is 20%, rising in five-point steps to 40% for five children. The guidelines apply to net resources up to $11,700 a month for orders signed on or after September 1, 2025. Above that level, a parent who wants more must show what the child actually needs.
Health insurance and dental coverage for the child are ordered on top of the base support amount. Together, these pieces make up most Texas child support orders.
Our page on how child support is calculated walks through the formula step by step, including the adjustment for parents who also support children in another home.
Try the Child Support Calculator
Before you meet with anyone, it helps to see a ballpark number. Our free Texas child support calculator applies the guideline percentages to the income figures you enter. It gives you a starting point for a conversation, but it is not a prediction of what a judge will order. Real cases turn on questions a calculator cannot answer, such as whether a parent is earning less than they could, how self-employment income should be counted, or whether a child has special needs.
Child Support Questions We Help New Braunfels Parents With
Every family’s situation is a little different, but most of the questions we hear fall into a handful of groups:
- Setting support for the first time. This happens in a divorce, a paternity case or a custody case between parents who never married.
- Figuring out real income. Commissions, overtime, bonuses, rental income and business earnings all need to be counted correctly. Our net resources guide explains what counts.
- Insurance and medical bills. Who covers the child, what it costs, and how uninsured bills are split.
- Changing an existing order. When income, custody or the child’s needs change, the order may need to change too.
- Collecting unpaid support. Arrears, interest, wage withholding and contempt.
- Working with the Attorney General. Many Comal County cases involve the state’s Child Support Division in some way.
- Support after a child turns 18. This includes high-school seniors and adult children with disabilities.
Use the cards below to go straight to the topic that fits your situation.
Child Support Cases in Comal County and Nearby Counties
New Braunfels sits on the line between Comal and Guadalupe counties, and the area’s fast growth means many families have ties to more than one county. A parent might live in Canyon Lake while the other parent rents in Seguin or commutes up I-35 to Kyle. Where a support case is filed depends on the child’s residence and on whether a court already has a case involving the child. Once a Texas court makes a support order, that court usually keeps authority over later changes and enforcement, even if both parents move.
We handle child support matters in Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties. That includes cases tied to military families at Joint Base San Antonio, where deployments and moves can complicate both payment and enforcement.
When Support Is Part of a Bigger Case
Child support rarely stands alone. It is usually decided alongside conservatorship and a possession schedule. If you are going through a divorce, see our page on divorce with children. If you never married the other parent, our guide to custody for unmarried parents explains why paternity and support often have to be settled together.
Talk With a New Braunfels Child Support Lawyer
Whether you need to set up support, pay what is fair, or collect what your child is owed, a short conversation can clarify your options. New Braunfels Family Law offers a free consultation by phone, video or in person for parents in New Braunfels, Comal County and the surrounding area. Call (830) 302-4071. Se habla español.
Child Support topics
How Support Is Calculated
A step-by-step look at the Texas guideline formula, the income cap, other-household adjustments and when judges depart from the numbers.
Read more →Child Support Calculator
Estimate guideline child support under the Texas Family Code using the obligor's monthly net resources.
Read more →Net Resources
What income Texas counts for child support, what it leaves out, which deductions apply, and how courts handle hidden or reduced income.
Read more →Medical & Dental Support
Who insures the child, how premiums are reimbursed, and how uninsured medical and dental bills are split under a Texas support order.
Read more →Support Modification
The two legal paths to raise or lower Texas child support, how far back a change can reach, and the steps to take before filing.
Read more →Enforcement & Arrears
The tools Texas gives parents to collect unpaid support, how arrears and interest work, and what a parent facing enforcement should know.
Read more →Attorney General Cases
How the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division works, what it can and cannot do for you, and when to bring in a private family lawyer.
Read more →Support After 18
When Texas child support ends, how it continues for high-school students, what to know about college, and support for adult children with disabilities.
Read more →Frequently Asked Questions
Can parents agree to a child support amount that differs from the guidelines?
Yes, parents can agree to a different amount, but the judge must approve it. If the agreed figure is outside the guidelines, the order usually has to explain why, and the court will look at whether the amount still serves the child.
Do I have to go through the Attorney General to get child support?
No. Many Texas parents work with the Office of the Attorney General, but you can also hire a private family lawyer to set, change or enforce support. Some parents use both at different stages. Our page on Attorney General cases explains the differences.
Where is a child support case filed if I live in New Braunfels?
It usually depends on where the child lives and whether a court already has a case involving the child. Because part of New Braunfels lies in Guadalupe County, some families file in Seguin rather than in Comal County. If an earlier order exists, changes are generally filed in the court that made it.
How do I estimate what support might be?
Start with our child support calculator, which applies the Texas percentage guidelines to the numbers you enter. Treat the result as a rough starting point, because the court’s figure depends on the evidence about income, health insurance and the family’s circumstances.
Last reviewed November 13, 2026. General information only, not legal advice.