# SinkinLaw
# https://www.sinkinlaw.com

> Attorneys for Child Support Collection - Andrew Ross - Steven Sinkin are arguably the most successful Child Support Lawyers in Texas. Based in San Antonio

- [Home](https://www.sinkinlaw.com): Attorneys for Child Support Collection - Andrew Ross - Steven Sinkin are arguably the most successful Child Support Lawyers in Texas. Based in San Antonio
- [How a Support Case Moves From Intake to Order](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/how-a-support-case-moves-from-intake-to-order.html): The stages of a Texas child support case from intake to a signed order — locate, service, temporary orders, financial exchange, hearing or settlement, and implementation through the SDU.
- [High-Conflict Co-Parenting](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/high-conflict-co-parenting.html): Managing child support and logistics in high-conflict co-parenting — parallel parenting, app-only communication, neutral exchanges, and taking calculation disputes off the table.
- [Firm Overview](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/firm-overview.html): How Sinkin Law Firm became Texas's preeminent child support collection firm — from a 1997 pro-bono case and a class action against the state to precedent-setting enforcement and $1M+ recoveries.
- [Testimonials](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/testimonials.html): What clients say about Sinkin Law Firm — parents who collected decades of unpaid Texas child support, from $40,000 to over $169,000.
- [Self-Employed Payors](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/self-employed-payors.html): How Texas child support is calculated and collected from a self-employed parent — proving real income through bank records and 1099s, ACH orders, and liens on receivables.
- [Evidence Rules in Support Cases](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/evidence-rules-in-support-cases.html): What evidence actually decides a Texas child support case — the SDU ledger, business records from employers and banks, authenticating texts and emails, and organizing exhibits.
- [Protecting Your Credit & Licenses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/protecting-your-credit-and-licenses.html): How child support arrears hit your credit and licenses in Texas — what triggers reporting and suspension, how to reinstate, disputing errors, and preventing escalation.
- [Default Orders & Motions to Vacate](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/default-orders-and-motions-to-vacate.html): How default child support orders happen in Texas, why they're hard to undo, and how a motion to vacate works — service problems, excusable neglect, and a meritorious defense.
- [Military Families & Frequent Moves](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/military-families-and-frequent-moves.html): Child support in a military family — decoding the LES (BAH, BAS, special pays), DFAS wage withholding, deployment credits, SCRA protections, and garnishing retired pay.
- [Income Withholding Orders](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/income-withholding-orders.html): How a Texas Income Withholding Order (IWO) pulls child support from wages, bonuses, and severance to the State Disbursement Unit — timing, job changes, and avoiding arrears gaps.
- [Travel Restrictions & Passports in International Cases](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/travel-restrictions-and-passports-in-international-cases.html): How passports and travel restrictions work in international child support cases — U.S. passport holds for arrears, foreign exit controls, and protecting a child from removal.
- [Reimbursement for Out-of-Network Care](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/reimbursement-for-out-of-network-care.html): Getting reimbursed for a child's out-of-network care in a Texas support case — consent rules, EOB documentation, how courts split the cost, and prospective order language.
- [Your First Hearing: What to Bring & Expect](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/first-hearing-what-to-bring-and-expect.html): What to bring to your first Texas child support hearing and what the court decides — the document sets, how to present income, and the mistakes that cost parents at the outset.
- [Currency Conversion & Payment Tracking](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/currency-conversion-and-payment-tracking.html): How to handle currency conversion and payment tracking in an international child support case — setting one obligation currency, assigning fees, and reconciling shortfalls.
- [Business-Owner Withholding Compliance](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/business-owner-withholding-compliance.html): When a business owner withholds child support from employees but doesn't remit it — the personal liability, penalties, and order language that keeps the money flowing to the SDU.
- [How to Avoid Arrears: Set Up Withholding Early](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/how-to-avoid-arrears-set-up-withholding-early.html): The simplest way to avoid Texas child support arrears: set up income withholding early. IWO timing, job changes, medical add-ons, self-employment, and monthly reconciliation.
- [Payment Plans Through the Agency or Court](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/payment-plans-through-the-agency-or-court.html): How child support payment plans work through the agency or the court — combining current support with an arrears installment, automating it, and formalizing it in an order.
- [Substance Abuse & Supervised Parenting Time](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/substance-abuse-and-supervised-parenting-time.html): How Texas courts handle substance abuse in a support and parenting case — the evidence required, testing and supervision, income adjustments, and milestone-based reunification.
- [Building a Payment Plan the Court Will Approve](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/building-a-payment-plan-the-court-will-approve.html): How to build a Texas child support payment plan a judge will actually sign — start from a certified arrears figure, automate payments, and keep it realistic, not aspirational.
- [Ending Support at Emancipation: Process & Pitfalls](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/ending-support-at-emancipation-process-pitfalls.html): How to end Texas child support at emancipation — confirming the trigger and date, filing to terminate, reconciling the ledger, and the pitfalls that leave orders running.
- [Child Support Calculator](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/child-support-calculator.html): Estimate Texas guideline child support — 20% of net resources for one child up to 40% for five or more. Free calculator from Sinkin Law Firm.
- [Using Self-Help & Legal Aid](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/using-self-help-legal-aid.html): How to use courthouse self-help centers and legal aid for a Texas child support case — what they can and can't do, workshops, income-qualified representation, and being an effective client.
- [Probation, Community Service & Purge Conditions](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/probation-community-service-and-purge-conditions.html): How probation, community service, and purge conditions work after a Texas child support contempt finding — supervision, purge payment structures, and staying compliant.
- [Working With the Caseworker or Probation Officer](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/working-with-the-caseworker-or-probation-officer.html): How to work effectively with a child support caseworker — what they do, how to make requests, respecting processing delays, disputing ledger errors, and escalating.
- [If the Other Parent Moves Out of State](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/what-to-do-if-the-other-parent-moves-out-of-state.html): Steps to take when the other parent moves out of state with a Texas child support order — registering for enforcement, keeping payments flowing, and coordinating any changes.
- [International Enforcement Under the Hague Convention](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/international-enforcement-under-the-hague-convention.html): How the Hague Child Support Convention lets a Texas order reach a parent abroad — Central Authorities, mandatory translations and certified copies, and what non-signatory countries require.
- [Communicating Without Escalation](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/communicating-with-the-other-parent-without-escalation.html): How to communicate with a co-parent about child support without the fight — using a documented channel, one-issue messages, offering choices, and keeping the child out of it.
- [Converting Informal Agreements Into Enforceable Orders](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/converting-informal-agreements-into-enforceable-orders.html): Why a handshake child support deal isn't enforceable in Texas — and how to convert an informal agreement into a binding court order the SDU and payroll will honor.
- [Protecting Orders During Bankruptcy, Probate or Guardianship](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/protecting-orders-during-bankruptcy-probate-or-guardianship.html): How child support survives bankruptcy, probate, and guardianship — its priority status, filing a creditor's claim when a payer dies, and updating routing for a new guardian.
- [Passport Denials for Owed Support](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/passport-denials-for-owed-support.html): How certified child support arrears trigger a federal passport denial, how to get the hold released, and what to do if you have work travel coming up.
- [Proving Job Loss or Reduced Hours](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/proving-job-loss-or-reduced-hours.html): The documentation that proves job loss or reduced hours in a Texas support case — separation letters, consecutive paystubs, job-search logs, and how to defeat an imputed-income claim.
- [Getting a Refund When Possible](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/getting-refund-when-possible.html): When you can get a refund of overpaid Texas child support — why arrears are paid first, when a true refund (vs. future credit) is possible, and the mistakes that scramble your ledger.
- [Ending Support at Emancipation: Closing the Case](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/ending-support-at-emancipation-steps-to-close-the-case.html): The steps to formally close a Texas child support case at emancipation — verifying the trigger, filing to terminate, directing future payments to arrears, and a post-termination audit.
- [Frequent-Flyer Points & Travel Credits: Who Owns Them?](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/frequent-flyer-points-and-travel-credits-who-owns-them.html): Who owns the frequent-flyer points and travel credits in a long-distance parenting case — the ownership default, tracking point value, and handling cancellation credits.
- [Children With Special Needs: Lifelong Support](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/children-with-special-needs-lifelong-support-considerations.html): Child support for a child with special needs — support that can extend into adulthood, mapping real costs, and protecting means-tested benefits with special-needs trusts and ABLE accounts.
- [Interest on Arrears: How It Accrues](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/interest-on-arrears-how-it-accrues.html): Texas charges 6% simple interest on child support arrears. Exactly how it accrues, when a payment becomes delinquent, what earns interest, and how incoming payments are applied.
- [Enforcement Against Military Members](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/enforcement-against-military-members.html): Enforcing Texas child support against a service member — how DFAS garnishment works, the forms and IDs required, LES verification, TRICARE, and deployment issues.
- [Seizing Lottery Winnings & Settlements](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/seizing-lottery-winnings-and-settlements.html): How Texas child support agencies attach lottery winnings and certain settlements to collect arrears — the offset programs, certification, and what disputes usually turn on.
- [Important Cases](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/important-cases.html): Precedent-setting Texas child support enforcement cases from Sinkin Law Firm — establishing no time limit on collection, no dormancy, and liens that don't expire.
- [Credit Reporting for Child Support Arrears](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/credit-reporting-for-child-support-arrears.html): How Texas child support arrears land on your credit report, how to dispute inaccurate SDU histories, and how consistent payments rebuild credit over time.
- [Child Support Calculation Faq](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/child-support-calculation-faq.html): How Texas child support is calculated — guideline percentages (20% for one child up to 40%), net resources, the income cap, income types, and 50/50 time.
- [Enforcing an Order in Non-Hague Countries](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/enforcing-order-non-hague.html): How to enforce a Texas child support order in a non-Hague country — foreign recognition (exequatur), leveraging U.S.-based assets and employers, and passport pressure.
- [Social-Media Conduct Clauses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/social-media-conduct-clauses.html): What social-media conduct clauses do in a Texas custody/support order — non-disparagement, protecting the child's data, indirect-contact bans, and how violations are enforced.
- [Preparing for a Contempt Hearing](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/preparing-for-a-contempt-hearing.html): How to prepare for a Texas child support contempt hearing — the four elements, the SDU payment chart that wins these cases, proving ability or inability to pay, and purge conditions.
- [Religious Schooling or Homeschooling Costs](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/religious-schooling-or-homeschooling-costs.html): How Texas courts handle religious-school and homeschooling costs in a support case — proving educational benefit, allocating tuition, decision-making authority, and religious accommodation.
- [Serving the Other Parent: Methods & Proof](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/serving-the-other-parent-methods-and-proof.html): How to serve the other parent in a Texas child support case and prove it — personal, substituted, and certified-mail service, the affidavit of service, and handling failed attempts.
- [Remote Hearings & Virtual Court Etiquette](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/remote-hearings-and-virtual-court-etiquette.html): How to handle a remote Texas child support hearing — testing your setup, presenting exhibits by PDF, virtual-court etiquette, and settling on the record.
- [Emancipation by Marriage or Military Service](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/emancipation-by-marriage-or-military-service.html): How marriage or military service can end Texas child support early — getting official proof, filing to terminate withholding, and why arrears and step-downs still need care.
- [Faith-Based Mediation & Arbitration Clauses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/faith-based-mediation-and-arbitration-clauses.html): How faith-based mediation and arbitration clauses work in Texas support cases — the limits on arbitrating child support, neutral selection, and what makes an award enforceable.
- [Wage Assignments for Bonuses & Severance](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/wage-assignments-for-bonuses-and-severance.html): How to make sure child support is withheld from bonuses, commissions, and severance in Texas — the order language that reaches irregular pay, and how to verify it against SDU postings.
- [Child Support Enforcement Faq](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/child-support-enforcement-faq.html): How unpaid Texas child support is enforced — wage garnishment, bank freezes, contempt and jail, tax-refund intercepts, passport denial, license suspension, and bankruptcy.
- [Contact Us](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/contact-us.html): Contact Sinkin Law Firm in San Antonio about collecting or enforcing Texas child support. Call (210) 732-6000 or (800) 932-6553, or request a consultation online.
- [Case Results](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/case-results.html): Representative child support collection results from Sinkin Law Firm — back support and interest recovered across Texas, including cases over $1,000,000.
- [Working With Foreign Central Authorities](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/working-with-foreign-central-authorities.html): How to work with a foreign Central Authority under the 2007 Hague Child Support Convention — the four application types, the file they expect, and keeping a case moving.
- [IVF, Donor Agreements & Financial Duties](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/ivf-donor-agreements-and-financial-duties.html): The financial and parentage issues in IVF and donor arrangements — pre-conception agreements, pre-birth parentage orders, who pays pregnancy costs, and known-donor boundaries.
- [Contempt of Court: When Nonpayment Is Willful](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/contempt-of-court-when-nonpayment-is-willful.html): In a Texas child support case, contempt requires a valid order, the parent's knowledge, ability to pay, and a failure to pay — with jail time possible. What must be proven and how to prepare.
- [When to Consider Private Counsel](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/when-to-consider-private-counsel.html): When a Texas child support case warrants private counsel — the signals, unbundled/limited-scope options, how to choose an attorney, and when it pays for itself.
- [Privacy, Data Security & Payment Portals](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/privacy-data-security-and-payment-portals.html): Protecting your privacy and data in a child support case — using official payment portals over P2P apps, two-factor authentication, phishing defense, and shielding a child's identity.
- [Getting a Temporary Order Quickly](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/getting-a-temporary-order-quickly.html): How to get a temporary Texas child support order fast — choosing the quickest forum, the documents to bring, income imputation, and setting a realistic, reviewable amount.
- [Multi-State Parenting Schedules](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/multi-state-parenting-schedules.html): How to build a workable multi-state parenting schedule around a child support order — a home base, travel-cost models, age-appropriate structures, and handoff logistics.
- [Settlements & Stipulations: Drafting Tips](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/settlements-and-stipulations-drafting-tips.html): How to draft a child support settlement or stipulation that holds up — attaching the guideline worksheet, payment specificity, add-on rules, and neutral review triggers.
- [Nonparent Caregivers: Grandparents & Guardians](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/nonparent-caregivers-grandparents-guardians.html): How a grandparent, guardian, or other nonparent caregiver can receive Texas child support — establishing legal standing, both parents' obligations, and benefit coordination.
- [Preparing for a Contested Enforcement Hearing](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/preparing-for-a-contested-enforcement-hearing.html): How to prepare for a contested Texas child support enforcement hearing — the parallel ledger, proving the order was clear, ability-to-pay evidence, and the remedies to request.
- [Using Experts: Vocational & Financial](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/using-experts-vocational-and-financial.html): When a vocational or forensic-accounting expert is worth it in a Texas support case — imputing earning capacity, uncovering self-employment income, and add-backs.
- [Tracking Down Employers & Job Changes](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/tracking-down-employers-and-job-changes.html): How child support enforcement locates a parent's employer and keeps up with job changes — new-hire registries, order provisions requiring notice, and fast IWO turnaround.
- [Foreclosure on Real Property for Large Arrears](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/foreclosure-on-real-property-for-large-arrears.html): When large Texas child support arrears can be collected by foreclosing on real property — homestead protections, why courts prefer payment plans, and using it as a last resort.
- [What to Do If You Can't Pay in Full This Month](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/what-to-do-if-you-can-t-pay-in-full-this-month.html): Can't make this month's Texas child support in full? Pay something through the SDU, document a catch-up plan, and avoid the mistakes that turn a short month into an enforcement case.
- [Coordinating Child Support With Public Benefits](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/coordinating-child-support-with-public-benefits.html): How child support interacts with TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid — assignment of collection rights, pass-through payments, cooperation requirements, and good-cause safety exemptions.
- [Domestic Violence & Safe Payment Arrangements](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/domestic-violence-and-safe-payment-arrangements.html): How to structure child support safely when there's domestic violence — routing payments through the SDU, sealed records, protective-order language, and safe exchanges.
- [Medical Catastrophes & Extraordinary Expenses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/medical-catastrophes-and-extraordinary-expenses.html): How Texas child support handles a medical catastrophe or extraordinary expenses — stabilizing insurance, defining 'extraordinary' costs, splitting them, and temporary modifications.
- [State Disbursement Units (SDUs): How Payments Flow](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/state-disbursement-units-sdus-how-payments-flow.html): What a State Disbursement Unit (SDU) is and why it's the official child support ledger — how payments post, why they lag, and why routing through it protects you.
- [Changing Insurance or Childcare Responsibilities](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/changing-insurance-or-childcare-responsibilities.html): How to change insurance or childcare responsibilities in a Texas support order — the triggers, avoiding coverage gaps, and why you file a modification instead of a side deal.
- [Drafting Clear Payment & Reimbursement Clauses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/drafting-clear-payment-and-reimbursement-clauses.html): How to write child support payment and reimbursement clauses that are actually enforceable — SDU routing, the 30/30 reimbursement rule, interest, and step-down provisions.
- [Statutes of Limitation on Arrears](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/statutes-of-limitation-on-arrears.html): In Texas, child support arrears never expire — but the tools to enforce them have deadlines. The 10-year money-judgment window, the 2-year contempt window, and the 2023 lien change.
- [LGBTQ Parents & Gender Considerations](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/lgbtq-parents-gender.html): Child support and parentage for LGBTQ+ parents — gender-neutral parentage (marital presumption, VAP, second-parent adoption), donor rules, and drafting orders that hold up.
- [Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Parents](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/jurisdiction-over-out-state.html): When a Texas court has long-arm jurisdiction over an out-of-state parent under UIFSA — the jurisdictional hooks, the evidence that supports them, and when to file in the home state.
- [Appeals: Standards & Deadlines](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/appeals-standards-and-deadlines.html): Appealing a Texas child support order — which orders are appealable, the short deadlines, the standards of review (de novo, substantial evidence, abuse of discretion), and stays.
- [Translation, Apostille & Service Abroad](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/translation-apostille-and-service-abroad.html): The paperwork behind serving a child support case abroad — certified translations, apostille vs. legalization, the Hague Service Convention, and keeping every name and date matched.
- [Confidentiality & Sealed Records](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/confidentiality-and-sealed-records.html): How to keep sensitive information private in a Texas support case — redaction, sealing records, address confidentiality programs, protective orders, and courtroom privacy.
- [When to Hire International Counsel](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/when-to-hire-international-counsel.html): When a Texas child support case needs foreign counsel — non-Hague countries, stalled recognition, asset recovery abroad, failed service, and preventing conflicting orders.
- [Interstate Wage Withholding Mechanics](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/interstate-wage-withholding-mechanics.html): How interstate wage withholding actually works — direct IWO to an out-of-state employer vs. registration, what a compliant IWO must contain, and multi-order proration.
- [Avoiding Conflicting Orders Across Borders](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/avoiding-conflicting-orders-across-borders.html): How UIFSA's controlling-order and continuing-exclusive-jurisdiction rules prevent conflicting child support orders — identifying the controlling order and avoiding forum shopping.
- [Handling Support While You're Incarcerated](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/handling-support-while-you-re-incarcerated.html): What to do about child support during incarceration in Texas — why support doesn't pause on its own, filing to modify immediately, and protecting your license and reentry.
- [Discovery: Subpoenas, Depositions & Requests](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/discovery-subpoenas-depositions-and-requests.html): Using discovery in a Texas child support case — interrogatories, requests for production, subpoenas to employers and banks, and depositions — plus proportionality and how to compel.
- [Articles](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles.html): Plain-English guides to collecting and enforcing child support in Texas — arrears, contempt, wage withholding, interstate and international cases, and more.
- [International Paternity & DNA Logistics](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/international-paternity-and-dna-logistics.html): How legal paternity testing works across borders — chain of custody, collection sites in two countries, consent, close-relative testing, and matching documents for the court.
- [Avoiding Scams & Unlicensed 'Debt-Relief' Companies](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/avoiding-scams-and-unlicensed-debt-relief-companies.html): How to spot child support scams and unlicensed 'debt-relief' outfits — the red flags, who can actually modify an order, and how to protect your identity and money.
- [Civil vs. Criminal Enforcement](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/civil-vs-criminal-enforcement-what-s-the-difference.html): Civil vs. criminal child support enforcement in Texas — coercive versus punitive, purge conditions versus jail, and why most cases start civil.
- [Out-of-State Enforcement](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/out-of-state-enforcement.html): How to enforce a Texas child support order against a parent in another state under UIFSA — registering the order, the enforcement tools that apply, and agency coordination.
- [Videos](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/videos.html): Short videos answering common Texas child support collection questions from Sinkin Law Firm — no time limits, private counsel with the OAG, enforcement steps, and more. General information, not legal advice.
- [Criminal Nonsupport: Elements & Defenses](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/criminal-nonsupport-elements-and-defenses.html): The elements of criminal nonsupport in Texas and the defenses that matter — willfulness, documented inability to pay, and why a criminal charge demands counsel.
- [Our Attorneys](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/our-attorneys.html): Meet the attorneys of Sinkin Law Firm — Steven A. Sinkin and Andrew Ross — who have shaped Texas child support enforcement law through landmark trial and appellate cases.
- [License Suspensions: Driver, Professional & Recreational](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/license-suspensions-driver-professional-recreational.html): How Texas suspends driver, professional, and recreational licenses for child support arrears — the thresholds, what reinstatement requires, and how to fight or resolve a suspension.
- [Parents With Irregular or Seasonal Income](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/seasonal-income.html): How Texas child support is set and paid on irregular or seasonal income — income averaging, base-plus-percentage orders, annual true-ups, and the documentation that prevents imputation.
- [Mediation vs. Hearing vs. Trial](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/mediation-vs-hearing-vs-trial.html): Mediation, hearing, or trial for a Texas child support dispute — what each forum is best for, what to bring, and a strategy for moving between them without losing time.
- [QDROs & Retirement Accounts for Arrears](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/qdros-and-retirement-accounts-for-arrears.html): Using a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to collect Texas child support arrears from retirement accounts — what qualifies, the tax limits, and the approval process.
- [Avoiding Perjury & Sanctions](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/avoiding-perjury-and-sanctions.html): How to avoid perjury and sanctions in a Texas child support case — full income disclosure, discovery compliance, the social-media trap, and correcting an error the right way.
- [Bank Levies & Property Liens](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/bank-levies-and-property-liens.html): How Texas child support arrears can be collected through bank levies and property liens — exemptions, recorded liens on real property, and how to prevent them.
- [Teenagers, Jobs & Impact on Support](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/teenagers-jobs-and-impact-on-support.html): Does a teenager's job change Texas child support? Usually not — when a teen's income matters, how it affects schedules and emancipation, and why you still modify formally.
- [Arrears Calculator](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/arrears-calculator.html): Estimate past-due Texas child support with 6% simple interest. Free arrears calculator from Sinkin Law Firm — then let us run the exact SDU numbers.
- [A Child's Travel Expenses Between Homes](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/child-s-travel-expenses-between-homes.html): How to handle a child's travel expenses between homes in a Texas order — booking rules, cost allocation, safety for unaccompanied minors, and reimbursement deadlines.
- [Requesting a Modification the Right Way](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/requesting-a-modification-the-right-way.html): How to modify Texas child support correctly — the 'substantial change' threshold, why timing (retroactive to filing) is everything, and the documentation a judge expects.
- [FAQ](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/faq.html): Answers to common Texas child support questions — guideline percentages, net resources, enforcement, interest, modifications, and more, from Sinkin Law Firm.
- [Choice of Law: Which Guideline Applies](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/choice-of-law-which-guideline-applies.html): Which state's guideline applies to a multi-state child support order — how continuing exclusive jurisdiction, a later modification, and the enforcing state's procedures interact.
- [Opening a Case With Your State Agency](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/opening-a-case-with-your-state-agency.html): How to open a child support case with your state agency — who's eligible, the documents to gather, what happens after you file, and the mistakes that slow a case down.
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/privacy-policy.html): How Sinkin Law Firm collects, uses, and protects information submitted through this website.
- [Keeping Good Records for Taxes & FAFSA](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/keeping-good-records-for-taxes-and-fafsa.html): The child support records to keep for taxes and FAFSA — payment histories, EOBs, Form 8332, and why the FAFSA 'custodial parent' isn't the same as the tax dependent.
- [Ai](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/ai.html): Get instant, plain-English answers to Texas child support questions — then talk to a real attorney at Sinkin Law Firm about your case.
- [Getting Credit for Direct Payments (and Why It's Risky)](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/getting-credit-for-direct-payments-and-why-it-s-risky.html): Why paying Texas child support directly instead of through the SDU is risky — payments that don't post, the documentation that gets credit, and the in-kind trap.
- [Enforcing Medical & Childcare Reimbursements](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/enforcing-medical-and-childcare-reimbursements.html): How to enforce unpaid medical and childcare reimbursements in a Texas support case — submission deadlines, converting them to judgment, and the documentation that proves the claim.
- [International Cases Under the Hague Child Support Convention](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/international-cases-under-the-hague-child-support-convention.html): How the 2007 Hague Child Support Convention works for international cases — Central Authorities, the application process, foreign recognition, and realistic timelines.
- [How Guidelines Work: Income-Shares vs. Percentage](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/how-child-support-guidelines-work-income-shares-vs-percentage.html): How child support guidelines work — the income-shares model versus the percentage-of-income model, the inputs that drive the number, and why deviations need written findings.
- [Moving Out of State: What Changes and What Doesn't](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/moving-out-of-state-what-changes-and-what-doesn-t.html): Moving out of Texas with a child support order — what stays fixed (duration, accrued arrears, CEJ) and what changes (enforcement, wage-withholding rules), and the steps to take.
- [Overtime, Bonuses & Commission: Are They Included?](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/overtime-bonuses-and-commission-are-they-included.html): Do overtime, bonuses, and commission count toward Texas child support? Usually yes — how courts average variable pay, and how caps and true-ups keep the order realistic.
- [Small-Claims Considerations](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/small-claims.html): When small-claims court fits a child support-related dispute — pursuing unreimbursed medical or activity expenses, the documents you need, and avoiding double recovery.
- [Tax Refund Interception](https://www.sinkinlaw.com/articles/tax-refund-interception.html): How federal and state tax refunds are intercepted for certified Texas child support arrears — timing, joint returns and injured-spouse claims, and how to avoid a surprise intercept.