Williamson County, TX · Free Consultation
Round Rock, TX Child Support Lawyer
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Written and reviewed by Shane M. Boasberg, founder of SMB Law, PC · Licensed in Texas since 2003 · Updated September 2026
Texas child support is a formula, not a negotiation. That sounds like it should make these cases simple, and it does not, because the percentage is fixed and the income figure is not. A Round Rock child support lawyer spends almost all of his effort on that second number. Shane M. Boasberg has been licensed in Texas since 2003 and runs the math himself.
Many Round Rock parents are surprised to learn how mechanical the starting point is: Texas ties guideline support to a percentage of the paying parent’s income, and getting that income figure right is where most of the real work lives.
Where a Round Rock child support case is handled
Round Rock sits primarily in Williamson County, so a child support suit is filed with the Williamson County District Clerk at the Justice Center in Georgetown. Many support matters are also handled through the state child support system, but the county court is where a contested order is decided.
How guideline child support is calculated
Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125 sets guideline support as a percentage of the paying parent’s monthly net resources:
- 20% for one child
- 25% for two
- 30% for three
- 35% for four
- 40% for five or more
Those percentages have not changed in years and are not where cases are won.
What net resources actually means
Net resources is not take-home pay, and treating it that way is the most common mistake we see. Tex. Fam. Code § 154.062 defines it as essentially all income from all sources — wages, self-employment income, commissions, bonuses, overtime, rental income, dividends, severance, even unemployment benefits — minus a specific and short list of deductions.
The deductions are Social Security taxes, federal income tax calculated for a single person claiming one exemption, state income tax where applicable, union dues, and the cost of the child’s health and dental insurance. Notice what is not on that list: your 401(k) contribution, your own health premium, your mortgage, your car payment, and your credit card debt. People arrive convinced their real disposable income is the number. It is not the number the statute uses.
The cap, and the figure that changed in 2025
Guideline percentages apply only up to a ceiling on net resources, and that ceiling is adjusted for inflation every six years.
Effective September 1, 2025, the cap rose from $9,200 to $11,700 in monthly net resources. For one child, that moved the maximum guideline obligation from $1,840 to $2,340 a month. For two children it is $2,925.
This matters to more Round Rock families than you might expect, because a household with two solid technology-corridor incomes can clear the cap without feeling wealthy. It also means orders entered before September 2025 were calculated against the old ceiling. That alone does not entitle anyone to a modification, but if you are near the ceiling it is worth a look.
Above the cap, a court may order additional support under § 154.126 based on the proven needs of the child, but the guideline percentages stop applying.
Medical and dental support on top
Guideline support is not the whole obligation. Tex. Fam. Code § 154.181 requires the order to address medical support, and § 154.1815 requires it to address dental support, either through insurance or cash medical support. Uninsured expenses are typically split, most often fifty-fifty, and those add up faster than parents plan for.
Run your own numbers first
Our calculator applies the current Texas guideline percentages and the $11,700 cap to your net resources so you know the figure before anyone puts one in front of you.
Try the Texas Child Support CalculatorWorking with us from Round Rock
Our office is about 20 miles south in downtown Austin, a 25-to-35-minute drive down I-35. We handle most Round Rock child support consultations and updates by phone and video.
At SMB Law, PC you work with Shane M. Boasberg directly. He has been licensed in Texas since 2003 and has spent those years in Central Texas family courts. You get his read on your case in plain English, including the parts you may not want to hear.
Why clients choose SMB Law, PC
- Direct attorney access — you talk to Shane, not a call center or a rotating case manager.
- The math checked, not assumed — net resources, insurance credits, and other-children adjustments verified against the records.
- Straight answers — if the amount you are disputing is smaller than the cost of disputing it, we will say so.
- Fees in writing — the rate and the retainer, explained before you sign.
What working with us looks like
- Confidential consultation to understand your goals and the law that applies.
- Strategy and records tailored to your situation.
- Negotiation or court — we settle when we can and litigate when we must.
- Resolution implemented correctly so you can move on.
Where the real disputes happen
Because the percentage is fixed, almost every contested support case is an argument about inputs. Four come up constantly in Round Rock.
- Variable pay. Bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity compensation are all income under § 154.062. A parent whose base salary is modest but whose annual bonus is not cannot calculate support off the base alone. Courts commonly look at a multi-year average.
- Self-employment. Business income is gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses, and the statute expressly excludes accelerated depreciation and similar accounting deductions from that definition. A tax return showing minimal income and a lifestyle showing otherwise is a familiar fact pattern.
- Children in another household. Under § 154.129, a parent with a legal duty to support children in more than one household gets a reduced percentage. It is a real adjustment, and it has to be raised with proof.
- Underemployment. If a parent is intentionally unemployed or underemployed, § 154.066 lets a court apply the guidelines to earning potential rather than actual income. The person who quits a good job the month before a support hearing is not the first to try it.
Fifty-fifty possession does not cancel support
This one surprises people every week. Texas does not have an offset formula that zeroes out support when parents share time equally. One parent still holds the exclusive right to determine the child’s primary residence, and support generally still flows.
A court can deviate from guideline support under § 154.123 when the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate, and possession time is one of the factors it may consider. But deviation requires findings and a reason. Equal time is an argument, not an automatic result.
Family matters in Round Rock rarely stay in one lane — we also help clients with a child custody dispute, modifying an existing order, and spousal maintenance, and you can learn more from our Austin child support attorneys.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most child support I can be ordered to pay for one child?
Under the guidelines, 20 percent of the first $11,700 of monthly net resources, which works out to $2,340 a month. That cap took effect September 1, 2025, up from $9,200. Above the cap a court may order more under Tex. Fam. Code § 154.126, but only based on the proven needs of the child rather than a percentage.
My bonus is bigger than my salary. How is that handled?
It counts. Section 154.062 includes bonuses, commissions, and overtime in net resources, and courts typically look at a multi-year average rather than one good year or one bad one. Structuring compensation to look small in the month of the hearing does not work as well as people hope.
We split time fifty-fifty. Do I still pay support?
Usually yes. Texas has no automatic offset for equal possession. A court may deviate from the guideline amount under § 154.123 when it would be unjust or inappropriate, and possession time is a factor it can weigh, but deviation requires findings. Equal time is an argument to make, not a result you get automatically.
When does child support end?
Generally when the child turns eighteen or graduates from high school, whichever comes later, under Tex. Fam. Code § 154.006. It does not stop by itself if you have more than one child on the order; the amount has to be recalculated. And support for a disabled adult child can continue indefinitely under § 154.302.
Do I have to go to Georgetown for a Round Rock case?
A contested Williamson County support order is decided at the Justice Center in Georgetown, but most of the process runs remotely. Our office is about twenty miles south on I-35, and we handle Round Rock consultations and case updates by phone and video.
Child support arguments are won with documents: pay records, tax returns, insurance statements, and a correct reading of what the statute counts. Whether you are establishing an order, responding to one, or looking at a number that does not seem right, the first step is checking the math. Call SMB Law, PC at (512) 561-5003 for a free and confidential consultation.