Child support can be a difficult topic. It’s ordered by a court because there is a child in need of support by both parents – not just the custodial parent. But despite the need, all too often it is paid late, insufficiently or not at all. And the numbers related to Texas can be staggering.
Texas child support statistics
A survey of all states between 2015 and 2018 found that Texas collected approximately $4 billion annually of court-ordered child support. This was nearly double the amount collected by the next-closest state, California. It represents the striking need Texas children have for the support and the courts’ willingness to order it.
However, Texas is among the nation’s leader in child support payments, which are in arrears. During the same time period, between $15 billion and $17 billion worth of annual ordered payments were never made. This was second only to California and not by much. It means that of the child support found necessary for children’s welfare and ordered by the court, no more than 25% actually gets paid on time.
Texas averaged approximately 1.5 million active child support cases per year during the study period, once again being the highest in the nation. Each year, it spent between $327 million and $434 million on efforts to manage such a massive system, seeking to bring those past-due amounts to the children who need them.
If you have court-ordered child support payments that are not being paid on time, that system is in place to help you. You do not have to go it alone, either. An attorney who is experienced in Texas family law and child support can help you navigate the system to ensure your child receives the support they need and to which they are entitled.