The Houston Family Law Blog


Over 1,000 Parents in Bexar County Jailed Last Year For Child Support

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Houstonians that owe money in child support should be happy that they don't reside in Bexar County. The San Antonio Express reports that parents in Bexar County are far more likely to go to jail for overdue child support than parents in the Lone Star state's four other largest urban counties.

According to figures from the Texas attorney general's office, there were 1,013 parents in Bexar County Jail for not paying child support. This is significantly more than the number of jailed deadbeat parents in Dallas, Harris, Tarrant or Travis counties combined. Only 631 parents across these four counties were jailed for not paying child support.

Why does Bexar County have so many people jailed for child support evasion? It's not because there's more child support cases in the county, nor does it have to do with the county's population. The San Antonio Express states that the county carries a different philosophy on how child support evaders could be punished. Bexar carries a "release-and-reset" strategy when it comes to dealing with deadbeat parents. The county will incarcerate parents for just a few days or few weeks at a time so that they can learn their lesson in the importance of supporting for a child. Other counties, like Harris County, only jail child support evaders as a last resort.

Non-custodial parents in Texas who are struggling to make their child support should consider contacting a Houston family law attorney so that a child support agreement can be modified. Family law attorneys can often help parents lower their monthly child support payments.

Related Resources:

  • The Cost of Raising a Child (FindLaw's Houston Family Law Blog)
  • Changes to Child Support (FindLaw)
  • Find Texas Family Law Attorneys (FindLaw)

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