Arlington, Tarrant County
Arlington Child Support Lawyer
Child support in Texas starts as arithmetic and turns into an argument about one number: what counts as your net resources.
Child Support in Arlington
Support in Arlington runs on the same guidelines as the rest of Texas (Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125), but the arguments here have a local flavour. In a large city between Dallas and Fort Worth whose cases are heard in Tarrant County, a meaningful share of income arrives as bonus, commission or equity rather than as salary — and net resources reaches all of it.
That turns a routine calculation into a question of what a year looks like. Annualizing a strong quarter overstates it; using base pay alone understates it. Tarrant County courts see the pattern often enough that a well-documented look-back is usually more persuasive than an argument about the number in isolation.
How the guideline calculation works
Texas applies percentage guidelines to the paying parent's monthly net resources (Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125). The percentages step up with the number of children before the court, with adjustments when the obligor also supports children in another household.
The guidelines apply up to a cap on net resources — and that cap is not written into the statute. It is set and periodically republished by the Texas Attorney General (Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125), which is why any figure you read on a website may already be stale. Above the cap, a court can order more, but the parent asking for it has to show the proven needs of the child.
Net resources is where cases are actually won
Net resources is not take-home pay and it is not the number on a W-2. It is nearly all income from nearly all sources — wages, commissions, bonuses, overtime, self-employment income, rental income, severance, retirement and pension income, interest and dividends — reduced by a specific short list of deductions including social security or equivalent taxes, federal income tax for a single person claiming one exemption, union dues and the child's health and dental insurance premiums.
Notice what is not deductible: the mortgage, the car note, credit cards, the other household's expenses. A parent who assumes a heavy debt load reduces support is usually working from a mistaken premise, and the disagreements that follow are about characterizing income rather than about the percentage.
More on child support for Arlington specifically is at Arlington Child Support.
Questions
Where is a Arlington divorce case filed?
In Tarrant County. Texas Family Code § 6.301 requires that at the time of filing, one spouse have been a domiciliary of Texas for the preceding six months and a resident of the county of filing for the preceding 90 days. The Tarrant County courthouse is located at Tarrant County Family Law Center, 200 E. Weatherford St., Fort Worth, TX 76196.
Do I have to live in Arlington to file there?
You have to meet the county residency requirement for Tarrant County, not for the city itself. Under Texas Family Code § 6.301 that means 90 days of residency in the county before filing, in addition to six months of domicile in Texas. Neighbouring cities in the same county satisfy it equally.
How does the Arlington ISD calendar affect my possession schedule?
Substantially. A standard possession order keys holiday and summer periods to when school recesses and resumes rather than to fixed dates, so the district calendar determines the actual exchange days. Naming Arlington ISD in the order avoids arguments in years when the district's calendar differs from a neighbouring district's.
Is child support handled differently in Tarrant County?
The governing law is identical statewide — Tarrant County applies the same Texas Family Code provisions as every other county. What differs locally is procedure: how quickly the court sets contested hearings, its standing orders, and whether it requires mediation before granting a trial setting. Those differences affect timing and cost more than outcome.
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas Family Code § 154.125 applies percentage guidelines to the paying parent's monthly net resources, with the percentage rising with the number of children before the court. The guidelines apply up to a maximum amount of net resources that is set and periodically republished by the Texas Attorney General rather than fixed in the statute.
What counts as net resources?
Net resources includes wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, overtime, self-employment income, rental income, severance, retirement and pension income, interest and dividends. It is reduced only by a specific list of deductions — social security or equivalent taxes, federal income tax for a single person claiming one personal exemption, union dues, and the cost of the child's health and dental insurance. Household debts such as a mortgage or car payment are not deductible.
Can child support be more than the guideline amount?
Yes. Above the cap on net resources, a court may order additional support, but the parent requesting it must prove the proven needs of the child rather than simply pointing to the other parent's income. Courts may also vary from the guidelines where applying them would be unjust or inappropriate under the circumstances.
Lisa G. Garza represents Arlington families from the firm's Dallas and McKinney offices.