Child Support Lawyer
Serving Dallas-Fort Worth
Child Support
Attorney
Dallas Texas
Expert Child Support Lawyer
in Dallas County
Case Evaluation
Deciding who to represent you in a child support case is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. If you choose the wrong person the effects will be devastating to you and your children. This is because once these types of orders get entered in from family law conflicts they are extremely difficult to change. Understandably, because of the often complex nature of child support cases, many of our clients are afraid of the unknown and what’s going to happen. We hear common questions like: “am I going to lose my children?” and “ am I going to lose my home?”. Child support cases can arise in any family law circumstance where children are involved such as divorce, relocation, conservator status change and child custody modifications. Family law courts in Texas are legally obligated to ensure that a suitable child support plan that is consistent with the law is in place to ensure that the parents sufficiently support their own children rather than relying on public assistance. With dozens of variables at play, and often ambiguous information available, family law matters involving children are necessarily complicated requiring representation from a highly knowledgeable and experienced lawyer. The Law Offices of John P. McCall Jr. has successfully represented hundreds of clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in a wide variety of child support cases. We are ready to assist you with establishing the best child support arrangement, modifying an existing child support order and/or the enforcement of child support obligations.
Expert Child Support Lawyer
in Dallas County
Deciding who to represent you in a child support case is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. If you choose the wrong person the effects will be devastating to you and your children. This is because once these types of orders get entered in from family law conflicts they are extremely difficult to change. Understandably, because of the often complex nature of child support cases, many of our clients are afraid of the unknown and what’s going to happen. We hear common questions like: “am I going to lose my children?” and “ am I going to lose my home?”. Child support cases can arise in any family law circumstance where children are involved such as divorce, relocation, conservator status change and child custody modifications. Family law courts in Texas are legally obligated to ensure that a suitable child support plan that is consistent with the law is in place to ensure that the parents sufficiently support their own children rather than relying on public assistance. With dozens of variables at play, and often ambiguous information available, family law matters involving children are necessarily complicated requiring representation from a highly knowledgeable and experienced lawyer. The Law Offices of John P. McCall Jr. has successfully represented hundreds of clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in a wide variety of child support cases. We are ready to assist you with establishing the best child support arrangement, modifying an existing child support order and/or the enforcement of child support obligations.
Case Evaluation
Child Support assistance for mothers
There are very specific procedures and time frames in the State of Texas for a mother to pursure financial child support from the biological father. There are many factors that determine what the amount of the support paid is. Some of these factors include the number of children that are being supported, the income of the person paying and other specific agreements between the parties that are approved by the court.
Regardless of the amount that should be paid, mothers that are not receiving child support through the Texas Attorney General’s Office should speak to a qualified child support lawyer as soon as possible to seek payments. While mothers are entitled to financial support from the father of the children for the entire time the children are minors and in their care, seeking retroactive payments can be difficult and the more time that passes the more difficult it is to start child support payments.
Some mothers can be hesitant to seek child support from fathers who are not a part of the kid’s lives and they would like to keep it that way. If the court has determined that it is not in the best interests of the child to grant conservatorship or visitation rights to the father, seeking financial child support from them will not affect that ruling.
If you need help pursuing child support
rely on the experience of the
Law Offices of John P. McCall Jr.
Child Support Attorney For Fathers
In the State of Texas child support is paid to the person who is raising the child(ren) and is determined to be the managing conservator. In many cases that role is occupied by the mother of the children but there is a growing number of fathers who find themselves in that role. If you are raising your children alone you are entitled to financial assitance from the other parent of the child(ren). If you are a father seeking child support from the mother of your child(ren) it is crucial to work with an attorney that understands the history of these laws and stautes and how to apply them to the specific challenges that fathers face when seeking child support. The Law Offices of John P. McCall Jr. has successfully obtained child support orders for Texas fathers. We can help you too.
Important facts about child support in Texas
Every state has slightly different rules regarding child support and how the arrangements are managed. In Texas, it goes through the Office of the Attorney General.
Child Support & Custody
Child support and custody and/or visitation agreements are not mutually exclusive. If a parent stops paying child support they do not lose visitation rights to the children and, conversely, paying chid support does not result in gaining access to the child(ren).
Who is entitled to child support?
Whoever is responsible for the primary care of the the child(ren) can be eligible to recive child support from the parent(s). This does not necessarily mean that it has to be the biological mother or father.
Court Orders Matter
The only child support arrangements that are enforceable are the ones that are ordered by the court. If any part of your agreement is not ordered by the court it cannot be enforced. Similarly, you cannot change the terms of your payment schedule without first going through an order modification process in court.
Do I need a lawyer to
help with child support?
It is totally possible to have your child support agreement dealt with in court and decided by a judge without the help of an attorney. This is a lot like trying to assemble a jig saw puzzle in the dark. The child support rules and guidelines in Texas are complex and not following them precisely can lead to major legal and financial headaches for you later down the road.
Consulting with a knowledgeable child support attorney when setting up the implementation or adjustment of an order much easier on everybody involved. An attorney can also fully apprise you of your rights to back child support and possibly help you recoup some of those lost payments. A good child support attorney will also be able to tell you if it will be possible to modify your child support order to fit your current circumstances. This has become increasingly more frequent because of the staggering unemployment rates in Texas due to COVID-19.
What to ask your child support attorney
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you’re in the middle of a child support case. Whichever side of the case you are on it is likely that this is the first time that you’ve had to navigate this process. There is a lot to learn and we understand that it can be overwhelming and hard to find a place to start. Here are some topics to start the conversataion and evaluate your situation.
- income of both parents
- cost of health insurance for the child
- cost of child care
- records time each parent spends with the child
- any special expenses for the child
- if applicable: your current child support order or related court documents
How much does a child support lawyer cost?
In most cases the total fees you can expect to pay vary between $2000-$5000. The specific child support attorney you work with can affect that total. Attorneys will charge by the hour and those rates can be as low as $100 an hour all the way up to $500 per hour. The major factor to consider is whether or not the child support claim is contested. Contested child support claims that can’t be settled will need to go to court where legal fees can stack up quickly. This is why it’s so important to hire a highly skilled attorney with experience settling sensitive cases. A keen negotiator will be able to use court as a last resort and, more often than not, settle your case out of court saving you thousands in legal fees. If you are not sure how complex your child support case is going to be schedule a consultation with a local Dallas family law attorney to get personalized information and advice.
Let’s Work Together
Business Hours
By Appointment Only
Sunday: 9am to 3pm
Monday: 8am to 6pm
Tuesday: 8am to 6pm
Wednesday: 8am to 6pm
Thursday: 8am to 6pm
Friday: 8am to 6pm
Saturday: 8am to 6pm