Texas law provides that a non-custodial parent make payments to the parent with custody of their child or children as a means of support for the child. In some cases, it’s sufficient that a non-custodial parent make monthly payments directly. However, the state has one mechanism upon which it relies in more than 80 percent of cases requiring child support enforcement.

This mechanism is wage withholding, also called wage assignment or garnishment. Let’s take a closer look at some considerations involved with wage withholding for our Dallas readers, as it’s likely that many will have experience with garnishment either from the paying or the receiving end. The information is intended to be general in nature only and not taken as legal advice.

If you’re a custodial parent who receives child support payments, there are a number of ways in which garnishment from your former partner’s wages might benefit you. These include:

  • A greater likelihood of keeping payments current and preserving your family’s economic stability.
  • Avoiding the need to file charges of non-payment and go through the courtroom process over and over for delinquent payments.
  • The possibility for a family receiving state assistance to become financially independent through regular child support payments over time.

There are a number of factors involved in garnishment that are important for our readers to understand, including how amounts are determined under the law and how employers will handle situations where employees owe child support to more than just one family. We’ll discuss these in greater detail in the coming weeks.

Source: The Attorney General of Texas, “Wage Withholding,” accessed on Dec. 4, 2015