Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Child Support, Divorce
If you are the party awarded child support in Texas, you will understandably want to know when and how you will begin receiving child support payments. This is a multistep process as outlined below.
Basic Texas Child Support Law Information
First, some basic information and terminology about child support law. The party awarded child support is known as the Obligee. The party ordered to pay child support is known as the Obligor. All child support payments must be paid to the Child Support Disbursement Unit located in San Antonio. Your final decree or order has a paragraph which states that any informal payments do not constitute as child support.
If the money is not paid directly to the Disbursement Unit it is not being counted by the State as child support and the Obligor could be held in contempt for nonpayment. It is very important that payments for all child support in Texas go through the State first.
Obtaining a Child Support Order in Texas
The first step in the process is getting an order that awards child support in Texas. Once a Final Decree of Divorce or Order in Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship has been submitted to the Court and signed by a Judge, the child support process begins.
This process can take a few days to a month from the date the order was signed, so don’t panic if you are not contacted immediately by a representative of the Office of Attorney General or the State Disbursement Unit.
Types of Payments Awarded in a Child Support Order in Texas
The second step in the process depends on the method of payment that was ordered in the decree. If a wage withholding order was issued along with your Final Decree or Order, the Child Support Division of the Office of Attorney General will direct the Obligor’s employer to begin withholding child support payments from the obligor’s checks on a weekly/biweekly/monthly basis, depending on what was ordered in the decree.
Child support in Texas does not require either of the parties to do anything regarding this; a wage withholding order signed by the Court already directs any employer of the obligor to automatically deduct a certain amount a specific amount of times per month. Once the money is deducted from the paychecks it is logged by the State Disbursement Unit and then sent to the Obligee.
If there was no wage withholding order issued, the Obligor is responsible for making payments directly to the State Disbursement Unit located in San Antonio. Monthly payments for child support in Texas are tracked so the State always has a log of whether parties are current on child support payments.
Arranging and Tracking Child Support Payments in Texas
The third step in the process is contacting you, the Obligee, to arrange how you will receive the child support payments. The Office of Attorney General will contact you regarding how you would like to receive the child support payments.
There are two options: you may either have the money directly deposited into your bank account or you may receive a Texas Debit Card, which does not require a bank account and child support payments are added to the balance of the card each month. You will be required to submit a form to begin the direct deposit process or to sign up for the debit card; both forms can be found here. Once you have your method of receiving the child support payments established, you’ll be finished with the process and will receive your monthly payments automatically.
Payment and account activity for child support in Texas can be tracked after enrolling with the Office of Attorney General. Both obligees and obligors are given a Customer Information Number once they enroll, and the account activity can be accessed here.
For Additional Questions & Answers
- Office of Attorney General (OAG):
- If you have questions or concerns, you may contact the Office of Attorney General regarding Child Support in Texas inquiries about your case at either the websites listed above or at your local field office.
- Ramos Law Group, PLLC:
- Please consult an attorney for advice regarding your own legal situation. Mary E. Ramos is a board-certified Texas attorney committed to the best possible outcomes for each client. For advice on child support in Texas, contact Ramos Law Group today.
Disclaimer: The material obtained from this site is not intended to be legal advice.
Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Mary E. Ramos
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