Texas child support guidelines are based on a statutory formula tied to the obligor parent’s monthly net resources. These guidelines are designed to create consistent support awards across family courts while allowing trial courts discretion in certain cases.
Beginning September 1, 2025, the Texas Legislature increased the statutory cap used to calculate Texas child support for the first time since 2019. The adjustment to the net resources cap reflects the legislature’s periodic effort to align child support calculations with the economic realities of inflation.
The Net Resources Cap in Texas Child Support
Under the Texas Family Code, guideline child support is calculated using a percentage of the obligor parent’s monthly net resources. For one child, the presumptive guideline amount is twenty percent of the obligor’s net resources. Tex. Fam. Code §154.125.
However, the statute limits the amount of income that must be considered when applying the guideline percentages. This limit is commonly referred to as the “maximum net resources” cap. Tex. Fam. Code §154.125(a). From 2019 to 2025, that cap was set at $9,200 per month. In 2025, the Texas Legislature (through Senate Bill 1936) increased the cap to $11,700 per month, reflecting adjustments tied to inflation and cost-of-living changes.
The Financial Impact of the New Cap
The increase in the cap has a direct impact on high-income child support cases. Under the previous limit, guideline support for one child could reach a maximum of $1,840 per month, calculated as twenty percent of $9,200.
With the new cap of $11,700, the presumptive guideline support for one child rises to $2,340 per month. The change, therefore, creates a $500 monthly increase in the potential guideline support obligation for a single-child case involving high earners.
Modification of Existing Child Support Orders
Texas law allows a child support order to be modified when certain conditions are met. A court may modify a child support order if the circumstances of the child or a parent have materially and substantially changed since the order was rendered. Tex. Fam. Code §156.401(a). Alternatively, modification may be permitted if three years have passed, and the guideline amount would differ from the current order by either 20 percent or $100. Tex. Fam. Code §156.401(a)(2).
Because the statutory cap has increased, some existing support orders may now fall below the updated guideline calculation. This means that a parent could, and in many cases, should seek modification based on the new statutory framework.
Guideline Amounts and Judicial Discretion
While the guideline percentages apply automatically to income within the statutory cap, Texas courts retain discretion to consider additional income beyond the cap when determining whether a higher child support award is appropriate.
When a parent earns income exceeding the statutory cap, the court may consider the proven needs of the child in deciding whether to award additional child support above the guideline amount. Tex. Fam. Code §154.126. This principle frequently arises in high-net-worth divorce cases where the child’s standard of living, educational expenses, and extracurricular activities may exceed ordinary guideline calculations.
Connect with a Texas Child Support Attorney
The increase in Texas’s child support cap may significantly affect high-income parents whose existing support orders were calculated under the prior limit. Parents who believe their child support orders no longer reflect current law should review all their options. McClure Law Group advises clients throughout Texas on complex child support and modification matters. Schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys by calling (214) 692-8200.