Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 157.505. AMENDMENT OF QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER. (a) A court that renders a qualified domestic relations order or similar order retains continuing jurisdiction: (1) to amend the order to correct the order, clarify the terms of the order, or add language to the order…

Sec. 157.506. LIBERAL CONSTRUCTION. The court shall liberally construe this subchapter to effect payment of pension, retirement plan, or other employee benefits for the satisfaction of the obligor's child support obligation. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 64 (H.B. 867),…

Sec. 157.507. ATTORNEY'S FEES, COURT COSTS, AND EXPENSES. (a) In a proceeding under this subchapter, the court may order the obligor to pay reasonable and necessary attorney's fees, court costs, and expenses incurred by a party to obtain the order and all fees charged by a plan a…

Sec. 157.508. CONFLICTS WITH OTHER LAW. (a) To the extent of a conflict between this subchapter and Chapter 804, Government Code, Chapter 804, Government Code, prevails. (b) To the extent of a conflict between this subchapter and federal law, the federal law prevails. Added by Ac…

Sec. 157.551. CIVIL PENALTY FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CHILD CUSTODY ORDER. A municipality or county in this state may adopt an ordinance or order that imposes a civil penalty of not more than $500 for engaging in conduct described by Section 25.03, Penal Code. Added by Acts 2023, 88t…

Sec. 158.001. INCOME WITHHOLDING; GENERAL RULE. In a proceeding in which periodic payments of child support are ordered, modified, or enforced, the court or the Title IV-D agency shall order that income be withheld from the disposable earnings of the obligor as provided by this c…

Sec. 158.002. SUSPENSION OF INCOME WITHHOLDING. Except in a Title IV-D case, the court may provide, for good cause shown or on agreement of the parties, that the order withholding income need not be issued or delivered to an employer until: (1) the obligor has been in arrears for…

Sec. 158.003. WITHHOLDING FOR ARREARAGES IN ADDITION TO CURRENT SUPPORT. (a) In addition to income withheld for the current support of a child, income shall be withheld from the disposable earnings of the obligor to be applied toward the liquidation of any child support arrearage…

Sec. 158.004. WITHHOLDING FOR ARREARAGES WHEN NO CURRENT SUPPORT IS DUE. If current support is no longer owed, the court or the Title IV-D agency shall order that income be withheld for arrearages, including accrued interest as provided in Chapter 157, in an amount sufficient to …

Sec. 158.005. WITHHOLDING TO SATISFY JUDGMENT FOR ARREARAGES. In rendering a cumulative judgment for arrearages, the court shall order that a reasonable amount of income be withheld from the disposable earnings of the obligor to be applied toward the satisfaction of the judgment.…

Sec. 158.0051. ORDER FOR WITHHOLDING FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES, COURT COSTS, AND EXPENSES. (a) In addition to an order for income to be withheld for child support, including child support and child support arrearages, the court may render an order that income be withheld from the dispo…

Sec. 158.006. INCOME WITHHOLDING IN TITLE IV-D SUITS. In a Title IV-D case, the court or the Title IV-D agency shall order that income be withheld from the disposable earnings of the obligor and may not suspend, stay, or delay issuance of the order or of a judicial or administrat…

Sec. 158.007. EXTENSION OF REPAYMENT SCHEDULE BY COURT OR TITLE IV-D AGENCY; UNREASONABLE HARDSHIP. If the court or the Title IV-D agency finds that the schedule for discharging arrearages would cause the obligor, the obligor's family, or children for whom support is due from the…

Sec. 158.008. PRIORITY OF WITHHOLDING. An order or writ of withholding has priority over any garnishment, attachment, execution, or other assignment or order affecting disposable earnings. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995.

Sec. 158.009. MAXIMUM AMOUNT WITHHELD FROM EARNINGS. An order or writ of withholding shall direct that any employer of the obligor withhold from the obligor's disposable earnings the amount specified up to a maximum amount of 50 percent of the obligor's disposable earnings. Added…

Sec. 158.010. ORDER OR WRIT BINDING ON EMPLOYER DOING BUSINESS IN STATE. An order or writ of withholding issued under this chapter and delivered to an employer doing business in this state is binding on the employer without regard to whether the obligor resides or works outside t…

Sec. 158.011. VOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING BY OBLIGOR. (a) An obligor may file with the clerk of the court a notarized or acknowledged request signed by the obligor and the obligee for the issuance and delivery to the obligor's employer of a writ of withholding. A notarized or acknowled…

Sec. 158.101. APPLICABILITY OF PROCEDURE. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the procedure for a motion for enforcement of child support as provided in Chapter 157 applies to an action for income withholding. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20…

Sec. 158.102. TIME LIMITATIONS. An order or writ for income withholding under this chapter may be issued until all current support and child support arrearages, interest, and any applicable fees and costs, including ordered reasonable and necessary attorney's fees, court costs, a…

Sec. 158.103. CONTENTS OF ORDER OR WRIT OF WITHHOLDING. An order of withholding or writ of withholding issued under this chapter must contain the information required by the forms prescribed by the Title IV-D agency under Section 158.106. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Se…

Sec. 158.104. REQUEST FOR ISSUANCE OF ORDER OR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING. A request for issuance of an order or judicial writ of withholding may be filed with the clerk of the court by the prosecuting attorney, the Title IV-D agency, the friend of the court, a domestic relatio…

Sec. 158.105. ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY OF ORDER OR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING. (a) On filing a request for issuance of an order or judicial writ of withholding, the clerk of the court shall cause a certified copy of the order or writ to be delivered to the obligor's current employ…

Sec. 158.106. REQUIRED FORMS FOR INCOME WITHHOLDING. (a) The Title IV-D agency shall prescribe forms as required by federal law in a standard format entitled order or notice to withhold income for child support under this chapter. (b) The Title IV-D agency shall make the required…

Sec. 158.201. ORDER OR WRIT BINDING ON EMPLOYER. (a) An employer required to withhold income from earnings is not entitled to notice of the proceedings before the order is rendered or writ of withholding is issued. (b) An order or writ of withholding is binding on an employer reg…

Sec. 158.202. EFFECTIVE DATE OF AND DURATION OF WITHHOLDING. An employer shall begin to withhold income in accordance with an order or writ of withholding not later than the first pay period following the date on which the order or writ was delivered to the employer and shall con…

Sec. 158.203. REMITTING WITHHELD PAYMENTS. (a) The employer shall remit the amount to be withheld to the person or office named in the order or writ on each pay date. The payment must include the date on which the withholding occurred. (b) An employer with 50 or more employees sh…

Sec. 158.204. EMPLOYER MAY DEDUCT FEE FROM EARNINGS. An employer may deduct an administrative fee of not more than $10 each month from the obligor's disposable earnings in addition to the amount to be withheld as child support. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. …

Sec. 158.205. HEARING REQUESTED BY EMPLOYER. (a) Not later than the 20th day after the date an order or writ of withholding is delivered, the employer may, as appropriate, file a motion with the court or file a request with the Title IV-D agency for a hearing on the applicability…

Sec. 158.206. LIABILITY AND OBLIGATION OF EMPLOYER; WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS. (a) An employer receiving an order or a writ of withholding under this chapter, including an order or writ directing that health insurance or dental insurance be provided to a child, who complies wi…

Sec. 158.207. EMPLOYER RECEIVING MORE THAN ONE ORDER OR WRIT. (a) An employer receiving two or more orders or writs for one obligor shall comply with each order or writ to the extent possible. (b) If the total amount due under the orders or writs exceeds the maximum amount allowe…

Sec. 158.208. EMPLOYER MAY COMBINE AMOUNTS WITHHELD. An employer required to withhold from more than one obligor may combine the amounts withheld and make a single payment to each agency designated if the employer separately identifies the amount of the payment that is attributab…

Sec. 158.209. EMPLOYER'S PENALTY FOR DISCRIMINATORY HIRING OR DISCHARGE. (a) An employer may not use an order or writ of withholding as grounds in whole or part for the termination of employment or for any other disciplinary action against an employee. (b) An employer may not ref…

Sec. 158.210. FINE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. (a) In addition to the civil remedies provided by this subchapter or any other remedy provided by law, an employer who knowingly violates the provisions of this chapter may be subject to a fine not to exceed $200 for each occurrence in which …

Sec. 158.211. NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND OF NEW EMPLOYMENT. (a) If an obligor terminates employment with an employer who has been withholding income, both the obligor and the employer shall notify the court or the Title IV-D agency and the obligee of that fact not la…

Sec. 158.212. IMPROPER PAYMENT. An employer who remits a payment to an incorrect office or person shall remit the payment to the agency or person identified in the order of withholding not later than the second business day after the date the employer receives the returned paymen…

Sec. 158.213. WITHHOLDING FROM WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS. (a) An insurance carrier that receives an order or writ of withholding under Section 158.206 for workers' compensation benefits payable to an obligor shall withhold an amount not to exceed the maximum amount allowed t…

Sec. 158.214. WITHHOLDING FROM SEVERANCE PAY. (a) In this section, "severance pay" means income paid on termination of employment in addition to the employee's usual earnings from the employer at the time of termination. (b) An employer receiving an order or writ of withholding u…

Sec. 158.215. WITHHOLDING FROM LUMP-SUM PAYMENTS. (a) In this section, "lump-sum payment" means income in the form of a bonus or an amount paid in lieu of vacation or other leave time. The term does not include an employee's usual earnings or an amount paid as severance pay on te…

Sec. 158.301. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING; FILING. (a) A notice of application for judicial writ of withholding may be filed if: (1) a delinquency occurs in child support payments in an amount equal to or greater than the total support due for one month…

Sec. 158.302. CONTENTS OF NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING. The notice of application for judicial writ of withholding shall be verified and: (1) state the amount of monthly support due, including medical support and dental support, the amount of arrearages …

Sec. 158.303. INTERSTATE REQUEST FOR INCOME WITHHOLDING. (a) The registration of a foreign support order as provided in Chapter 159 is sufficient for the filing of a notice of application for judicial writ of withholding. (b) The notice shall be filed with the clerk of the court …

Sec. 158.304. ADDITIONAL ARREARAGES. If the notice of application for judicial writ of withholding states that the obligor has repeatedly failed to pay support in accordance with the underlying support order, the judicial writ may include arrearages that accrue between the filing…

Sec. 158.306. DELIVERY OF NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING; TIME OF DELIVERY. (a) A notice of application for judicial writ of withholding may be delivered to the obligor by: (1) hand delivery by a person designated by the Title IV-D agency or local domestic…

Sec. 158.307. MOTION TO STAY ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF WITHHOLDING. (a) The obligor may stay issuance of a judicial writ of withholding by filing a motion to stay with the clerk of court not later than the 10th day after the date the notice of application for judicial writ of withholdi…

Sec. 158.308. EFFECT OF FILING MOTION TO STAY. The filing of a motion to stay by an obligor in the manner provided by Section 158.307 prohibits the clerk of court from delivering the judicial writ of withholding to any employer of the obligor before a hearing is held. Added by Ac…

Sec. 158.309. HEARING ON MOTION TO STAY. (a) If a motion to stay is filed in the manner provided by Section 158.307, the court shall set a hearing on the motion and the clerk of court shall notify the obligor, obligee, or their authorized representatives, and the party who filed …