Support Modification Process | Office Of The Attorney General

If your circumstances have changed, your order may be eligible for review and modification. Here’s what to expect when you request for a modification of your child support order.

Click here to learn the steps in the modification journey

How do I request a review?

If you have an active/open child support case, you can submit an official Request for Review of your court-ordered amount.

• Click here to learn about the steps in the modification journey.
• Click here to complete an online modification request.

Only 1 modification request should be submitted, any additional requests can create a delay in processing.

• Or click here to download, complete, and mail the "Request for Review" form to the Child Support Division.

Send the completed form to:

Office of the Attorney GeneralChild Support DivisionP.O. Box 12017Austin, TX 78711-2017

ELIGIBILITY FOR A MODIFICATION

Your child support order is eligible for modification only if one (or more) of the following is true:

• The order was established/last modified more than three years ago; and
• The monthly amount of the child support order differs by either (a) 20% or (b) $100 from the amount that would be awarded, according to child support guidelines.

OR

• A material and substantial change in circumstances has occurred since the child support order was last set.

WHAT IS A "MATERIAL AND SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES"?

In relation to receiving a payment modification, this phrase applies to one of these situations:

• The noncustodial parent's income has increased or decreased.
• The noncustodial parent is legally responsible for additional children.
• The child's (or children's) medical insurance coverage has changed.

OR

• The child (or children) are now living with a different parent.

HOW TO CHANGE A CHILD SUPPORT ORDER

There are only two ways a child support order can be changed:

1. An in-office negotiation — known as the Child Support Review Process (CSRP)
2. Court hearing

Informal agreements between parents do not change the court-ordered amount. That can be changed only by a court hearing or the CSRP.

COULD MY PAYMENT AMOUNT GO UP IF I REQUEST A MODIFICATION?

Yes. It is possible that the amount of child support you are ordered to pay could go up.

Modifications are based on the noncustodial parent's current income. If you are making more money now than you were when the child support order was established or last modified, the court may increase the amount of child support you are ordered to pay.

Visit the Child Support Calculator. Enter your current income to estimate what your child support payment might be.