How to Modify Child Support in Texas
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Texas · Last updated September 21, 2026
In Texas, a child support modification is a court, or the state child support agency, changing the amount of an existing support order after circumstances change, so the amount can go up or down but only going forward. Texas lets you qualify one of two ways: by showing a material and substantial change since the last order, or, once three years have passed, by showing the current amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from what the guideline produces now (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). Support is set as a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources under the state guideline (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154), so a real income change, a new custody schedule, or added children can move the number. You can ask in two ways. You can file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship in the court that issued your order, the court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155), or ask the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division for a free review. A change can reach back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of the date of service of citation or an appearance in the suit (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)), so support already due cannot be erased. Keep paying your current order until it is changed. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.
Find out where you stand in Texas
Where are you with changing your child support order?
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How do I modify child support in Texas?
File a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship in the court that issued your order, or ask the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division to review it. You must show a material and substantial change, or that three years have passed and the amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from the guideline (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401).
How much does the amount have to change to modify child support in Texas?
Texas gives two paths. You can show a material and substantial change in circumstances at any time, or, if three years have passed since the order, show the monthly amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from what the guideline produces now (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). Either one can support a modification.
How far back can a child support change go in Texas?
A change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of the date of service of citation or an appearance in the suit to modify (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)). Support that already came due cannot be reduced, so filing and serving promptly protects you. Keep paying the current order meanwhile.
Who handles child support modifications in Texas?
The court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, meaning the court that issued your last order, handles modifications (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155). The Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division also offers a free review and adjustment through its administrative review process, which can send an agreed order to a judge to sign.
Texas child support modification at a glance
In Texas, a child support modification is a court or state agency changing the amount of an existing support order after circumstances change. You can qualify one of two ways: by showing a material and substantial change since the last order, or, once three years have passed, by showing the current amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from the guideline amount (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). Support is set as a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources under the state guideline (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154). You file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship in the court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155), or ask the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division for a free review. A change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of service of citation or an appearance (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)).
Lowering a Texas order after an income drop
Suppose your Texas order is four years old and your pay has fallen, so the guideline amount would now differ by more than 20 percent from what you pay. Because three years have passed, you qualify under the second Texas ground without proving a material and substantial change (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). You file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship in the court that issued the order and have the other parent served promptly, since a change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of service or an appearance (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)). You keep paying the current amount until the court rules. The court recalculates support under the guideline (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154) and signs a lower order. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Tex. Fam. Code 156.401 (grounds and retroactivity for modification)
Allows modification on a material and substantial change, or three years since the order plus a 20 percent or $100 difference from the guideline, and limits a change to obligations accruing after the earlier of service of citation or an appearance in the suit.
Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155 (continuing, exclusive jurisdiction)
Establishes that the court which rendered the final order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship keeps continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, so a modification of an existing child support order is filed in that same court.
Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154 (child support guidelines)
Sets the statewide guideline calculating child support as a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources, which is the amount a court compares the current order against when deciding a modification.
Texas Attorney General Child Support Division (review and adjustment)
The state IV-D agency explains how a parent can request a free review of an existing order and the Child Support Review Process, an administrative path that can produce an agreed order for a judge to sign.
Regional Variances
Texas child support modification rules at a glance
Qualifying threshold
A material and substantial change in circumstances, or, once three years have passed, the monthly amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from the current guideline amount (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). Either ground can support a modification.
Where to file
The court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, meaning the court that issued your last order (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155). You can also ask the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division for a free administrative review and adjustment.
Modification form
Texas has no single mandated statewide form number. You file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship; free templates and instructions are available through TexasLawHelp, run by the Texas Legal Services Center.
Retroactivity
A change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of the date of service of citation or an appearance in the suit to modify (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)). Support already due cannot be reduced.
Periodic review
If the Office of the Attorney General handles your IV-D case, you can generally request a review about every three years without proving a change, and sooner when a material and substantial change occurs.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Gather proof of your changed circumstances
Before you file days after startingCollect current pay records, tax returns, and proof of the change, then estimate the guideline amount (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154) to see whether you meet a material and substantial change or the three-year test. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.
Confirm which Texas ground fits
Before you file days after startingDecide whether you rely on a material and substantial change, or the three-year plus 20 percent or $100 difference test (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). If your order was an agreed order below guideline, you generally must show a material and substantial change.
Draft the Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship
As soon as your circumstances change days after startingPrepare the petition stating your ground for the change. Texas has no single statewide form number, so use free templates and instructions from TexasLawHelp, run by the Texas Legal Services Center, or a private form.
File in the court that issued your order
Promptly (the change dates back to service) days after startingFile in the court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155) and pay the fee, or file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. File promptly because the change reaches back only to service or appearance.
Serve the other parent right away
Immediately after filing days after startingHave the other parent served with citation, then file the return of service. A change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of service or an appearance (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)), so prompt service protects the earliest effective date.
Consider the free Attorney General review
Anytime your case is with the agency days after startingIf the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division handles your case, ask for a free review and adjustment. Its Child Support Review Process can produce an agreed order for a judge to sign without a contested hearing.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gather proof of your changed circumstances | Collect current pay records, tax returns, and proof of the change, then estimate the guideline amount (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154) to see whether you meet a material and substantial change or the three-year test. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft. | - | Before you file |
| Confirm which Texas ground fits | Decide whether you rely on a material and substantial change, or the three-year plus 20 percent or $100 difference test (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). If your order was an agreed order below guideline, you generally must show a material and substantial change. | - | Before you file |
| Draft the Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship | Prepare the petition stating your ground for the change. Texas has no single statewide form number, so use free templates and instructions from TexasLawHelp, run by the Texas Legal Services Center, or a private form. | - | As soon as your circumstances change |
| File in the court that issued your order | File in the court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 155) and pay the fee, or file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. File promptly because the change reaches back only to service or appearance. | - | Promptly (the change dates back to service) |
| Serve the other parent right away | Have the other parent served with citation, then file the return of service. A change reaches back only to obligations accruing after the earlier of service or an appearance (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)), so prompt service protects the earliest effective date. | - | Immediately after filing |
| Consider the free Attorney General review | If the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division handles your case, ask for a free review and adjustment. Its Child Support Review Process can produce an agreed order for a judge to sign without a contested hearing. | - | Anytime your case is with the agency |
Frequently Asked Questions
A real, involuntary income drop can be a material and substantial change, but you must file to modify; support keeps accruing at the old rate until the court acts (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). A court can consider your earning ability, so document the job loss. Do not simply stop paying.
No. Either parent can file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship alone, and the other parent is served and can respond. If both agree, the Office of the Attorney General or the court can turn the agreement into an order a judge signs, still measured against the guideline (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154).
Timing depends on the court's docket and whether the other parent contests it, often several weeks to a few months. An agreed result through the Office of the Attorney General review can be faster. Because a change reaches back only to service or appearance, filing and serving promptly protects you (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)).
Yes. If the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division handles your case, you can ask for a free review and adjustment. Its administrative Child Support Review Process can produce an agreed order sent to a judge to sign, or move the matter to court if the parents disagree (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 233).
You can file whenever a material and substantial change occurs. Separately, once three years have passed and the amount would differ by 20 percent or $100 from the guideline, you qualify without proving a change (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401). The Attorney General also reviews IV-D cases about every three years on request.
A modification changes only obligations accruing after the earlier of service of citation or an appearance (Tex. Fam. Code 156.401(b)). Support that already came due, called arrears, cannot be reduced or erased, and it keeps accruing interest. Keep paying your current order to avoid building arrears while the case is pending.
Filing a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship carries a court filing fee that varies by county. If you cannot afford it, you can file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. A review through the Office of the Attorney General does not charge you a fee.
Texas has no single mandated statewide form number for this. You file a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship, and free templates and instructions are available through TexasLawHelp, run by the Texas Legal Services Center. The Office of the Attorney General offers a separate review request instead of a court petition.
Other Texas guides
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