Texas Child Support Enforcement: Overcoming the Challenges of Collecting Unpaid Support
Helping custodial parents recover child support arrears with persistence, proven strategies, and Texas Family Code remedies.
Child support orders in Texas are designed to ensure that children receive the financial resources they need.
However, many custodial parents discover that obtaining a court order is only the first step—actually collecting unpaid child support in Texas can be far more difficult.
At Child Support 2 Collect, we help custodial parents overcome the challenges of Texas child support enforcement by applying proven strategies, persistence, and the remedies provided under the Texas Family Code. Our mission is simple: to recover child support arrears and ensure children receive the support they are entitled to under the law.
How to Collect Unpaid Child Support in Texas
Even with a valid support order, custodial parents often face obstacles such as:
- Non-Payment by the Obligor – Some parents deliberately refuse to pay, work for cash, or frequently change jobs to avoid wage withholding (Tex. Fam. Code § 158.002).
- Complex Enforcement Procedures – Filing enforcement actions requires navigating Texas Family Code procedures for contempt, income withholding, and arrearage judgments (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.001).
- Delays in State Agency Action – The Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division handles a high volume of cases, which can lead to long delays.
- Hidden Income and Assets – Some parents attempt to conceal earnings or transfer property, making collections difficult (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.317).
- Growing Child Support Arrears – Missed payments accumulate quickly, and arrearages remain collectible until fully paid (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.005).
Enforcement Options for Unpaid Child Support in Texas
Child Support 2 Collect focuses exclusively on helping custodial parents collect unpaid child support in Texas. We apply all enforcement tools authorized by the Texas Family Code, including:
Wage Garnishment for Child Support in Texas
Income withholding is the most common enforcement method. Texas law allows for automatic deductions from the obligor’s paycheck (Tex. Fam. Code § 158.001).
Liens and Bank Levies for Child Support Arrears
Liens may be placed on property, and funds can be seized directly from bank accounts to satisfy arrears (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.317).
Enforcement Options for Unpaid Child Support in Texas
Child Support 2 Collect focuses exclusively on helping custodial parents collect unpaid child support in Texas. We apply all enforcement tools authorized by the Texas Family Code, including:
01
Wage Garnishment for Child Support in Texas
02
Liens and Bank Levies for Child Support Arrears
03
Liens may be placed on property, and funds can be seized directly from bank accounts to satisfy arrears (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.317).
04
Income withholding is the most common enforcement method. Texas law allows for automatic deductions from the obligor’s paycheck (Tex. Fam. Code § 158.001).
Texas Child Support License Suspension Laws
If the obligor fails to pay, Texas may suspend driver’s licenses, professional licenses, and even hunting and fishing licenses until compliance is restored (Tex. Fam. Code § 232.003).
Contempt of Court for Non-Payment of Child Support
Courts can hold non-paying parents in contempt, resulting in fines or even jail time for willful refusal to pay (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.166).
Steps to Take When the Other Parent Refuses to Pay Child Support
When voluntary payment is not made, custodial parents should act quickly:
Review your child support order and payment history.
Document missed payments to establish arrears.
Contact a professional collection service like Child Support 2 Collect to begin enforcement action.
Consider multiple enforcement strategies (wage garnishment, liens, license suspension, contempt).
Delaying action can allow arrears to grow, making recovery more difficult.
Why Custodial Parents Need Professional Child Support Collection Services
While the Texas Attorney General’s Office provides enforcement assistance, heavy caseloads often mean delayed action. By contrast, Child Support 2 Collect provides focused, aggressive enforcement for your individual case.
What We Offer
Comprehensive case review (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.263)
Parent location and asset discovery (Tex. Fam. Code § 157.327)
Aggressive enforcement of judgments
Negotiation and compliance monitoring
Persistent advocacy until arrears are collected
Collecting Back Child Support Without the Attorney General
Collecting Back Child Support
Many parents ask if they can collect back child support in Texas without going through the Attorney General’s Office.
The answer is yes. While the OAG is the state’s official enforcement agency, custodial parents are not limited to using it. Private enforcement services, like Child Support 2 Collect, can pursue arrears directly and often much faster.
A Trusted Partner for Custodial Parents
Recovering unpaid child support in Texas is never easy, but custodial parents have strong rights under the Texas Family Code. With the right enforcement partner, those rights can be fully exercised.
Child Support 2 Collect provides the persistence, investigative resources, and legal enforcement strategies necessary to recover arrears and ensure consistent payment moving forward.