How is Child Support Enforced in Texas?

During the legal separation or divorce of a relationship that resulted in a child, it is inevitable that the subject of child support will surface. Apart from division of conjugal assets, child support and custody is one of the most tedious, grueling and complicated parts of the separation process.

Office of the Attorney General (OAG)

In the state of Texas, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is the official child support enforcement agency. The OAG provides services to parents or legal guardians who wish to obtain child support payments. The OAG offers a variety of services, which include establishing paternity, locating an absentee or missing parent, calculating child support pay, enforcing child support orders as well as distributing child support payments. These OAG’s services are commissioned and funded by the Texas government.

While the OAG manages much of the details and offers valuable assistance to clients, much responsibility remains in the hands of the claimant. These duties include completing all necessary documents needed for the filing of child support, appearing at court hearings on time and ensure that all personal information given to the court remains up to date. The OAG will also, to the best of its abilities, ensure that all the information given to them by the claimant remains both confidential and secure. This includes personal details such as phone numbers, home address and workplace. Client services are assured to be timely, professional and accurate. If the OAG fails to meet expectations, the claimant has the right to file a written complaint and submit an inquiry regarding their respective case.

OAG Limitations

As always, there are limitations as to when the OAG can be of assistance to a parent. For instance, they cannot guarantee that every case will be resolved, nor the time frame in which one can expect a response. The OAG actions and handling of a case are largely based on the thoroughness of the information and details provided. The easier you make it on them, the easier they will make it on you. Additionally, the support of the OAG cannot be utilized in any matters other than child support including divorce, child custody and visitation issues. In these instances, seek help from a Houston divorce lawyer or child custody lawyer.

Notifications

Once the OAG starts handling a case, a notice of a child support court hearing will be sent to the involved party informing them of the details, such as the time, date and location of the court hearing. Failure to attend court proceedings would result in a negative backlash, as court appearances are of the utmost importance.