Source: https://chowins.com/resources/texas-family-laws/243-withholding-from-earnings-for-child-support-texas-family-law
Timestamp: 2018-08-16 04:56:03
Document Index: 494882761

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 157', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 231', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 158', '§ 231']

Withholding From Earnings for Child Support - Texas Family Law - Chowins Law Firm, PLLC | Chowins Law Firm, PLLC
Withholding From Earnings for Child Support - Texas Family Law
Withholding From Earnings for Child Support
INCOME WITHHOLDING REQUIRED; GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 158.001. INCOME WITHHOLDING; GENERAL RULE.
§ 158.002. SUSPENSION OF INCOME WITHHOLDING.
§ 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 arrearages, including accrued interest as provided in Chapter 157.
§ 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 discharge those arrearages in not more than two years.
§ 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.
§ 158.0051. ORDER FOR WITHHOLDING FOR COSTS AND FEES.
(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 disposable earnings of the obligor to be applied towards the satisfaction of any ordered attorney's fees and costs resulting from an action to enforce child support under this title.
(b) An order rendered under this § is subordinate to an order or writ of withholding for child support under this chapter and is subject to the maximum amount allowed to be withheld under § 158.009.
(c) The court shall order that amounts withheld for fees and costs under this § be remitted directly to the person entitled to the ordered attorney's fees or costs or be paid through a local registry for disbursement to that person.
§ 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 administrative writ of withholding.
§ 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 obligor to suffer unreasonable hardship, the court or agency may extend the payment period for a reasonable length of time.
§ 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.
§ 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.
§ 158.010. ORDER OR WRIT BINDING ON EMPLOYER DOING BUSINESS IN STATE.
§ 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 acknowledged request may be filed under this § regardless of whether a writ or order has been served on any party or of the existence or amount of an arrearage.
(c) An employer that receives a writ of withholding issued under this § may request a hearing in the same manner and according to the same terms provided by § 158.205.
(d) An obligor whose employer receives a writ of withholding issued under this § may request a hearing in the manner provided by § 158.309.
(e) An obligee may contest a writ of withholding issued under this § by requesting, not later than the 180th day after the date on which the obligee discovers that the writ has been issued, a hearing in the manner provided by § 158.309.
(f) A writ of withholding under this § may not reduce the total amount of child support, including arrearages, owed by the obligor.
§ 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.
§ 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 attorney's fees and court costs, have been paid.
§ 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 § 158.106.
§ 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 relations office, the obligor, the obligee, or an attorney representing the obligee or obligor.
§ 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 employer or to any subsequent employer of the obligor.
§ 158.106. REQUIRED FORMS FOR INCOME WITHHOLDING.
(b) The Title IV-D agency shall make the required forms available to obligors, obligees, domestic relations offices, friends of the court, clerks of the court, and private attorneys.
(d) The forms prescribed by the Title IV-D agency under this § shall be used:
(2) to request voluntary withholding under § 158.011.
RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF EMPLOYER
§ 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.
§ 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 continue to withhold income as required by the order or writ as long as the obligor is employed by the employer.
§ 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 shall remit a payment required under this § by electronic funds transfer or electronic data interchange not later than the second business day after the pay date.
(b-1) An employer with fewer than 50 employees may remit a payment required under this § by electronic funds transfer or electronic data interchange. A payment remitted by the employer electronically must be remitted not later than the date specified by Subsection (b).
(d) In a case in which an obligor's income is subject to withholding, the employer shall remit the payment of child support directly to the state disbursement unit.
(e) The state disbursement unit may impose on an employer described by Subsection (b) a payment processing surcharge in an amount of not more than $25 for each remittance made on behalf of an employee that is not made by electronic funds transfer or electronic data exchange. The payment processing surcharge under this subsection may not be charged against the employee or taken from amounts withheld from the employee's wages.
§ 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.
§ 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 of the order or writ to the employer. The Title IV-D agency by rule shall establish procedures for an agency hearing under this section.
(b) The hearing under this § shall be held not later than the 15th day after the date the motion or request was made.
§ 158.206. LIABILITY AND OBLIGATION OF EMPLOYER; WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS.
(B) an amount equal to the interest that accrues under § 157.265 on the amount withheld and not paid; and
§ 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 allowed to be withheld under § 158.009, the employer shall pay an equal amount towards the current support in each order or writ until the employer has complied fully with each current support obligation and, thereafter, equal amounts on the arrearages until the employer has complied with each order or writ, or until the maximum total amount of allowed withholding is reached, whichever occurs first.
(c) An employer who receives more than one order or writ of withholding that combines withholding for child support and spousal maintenance as provided by § 8.101 shall withhold income and pay the amount withheld in accordance with § 8.207.
§ 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 attributable to each obligor.
§ 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.
(d) An action under this § may be brought by the employee, a friend of the court, the domestic relations office, or the Title IV-D agency.
§ 158.210. FINE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.
(2) remit withheld income within the time required by § 158.203 to the payee identified in the order or writ or to the state disbursement unit.
(b) A fine recovered under this § shall be paid to the county in which the obligee resides and shall be used by the county to improve child support services.
§ 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 later than the seventh day after the date employment terminated and shall provide the obligor's last known address and the name and address of the obligor's new employer, if known.
§ 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 payment.
§ 158.213. WITHHOLDING FROM WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS.
(a) An insurance carrier that receives an order or writ of withholding under § 158.206 for workers' compensation benefits payable to an obligor shall withhold an amount not to exceed the maximum amount allowed to be withheld from income under § 158.009 regardless of whether the benefits payable to the obligor for lost income are paid as lump sum amounts or as periodic payments.
(b) An insurance carrier subject to this § shall send the amount withheld for child support to the place of payment designated in the order or writ of withholding.
§ 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.
(c) The total amount that may be withheld under this § is subject to the maximum amount allowed to be withheld under § 158.009.
§ 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 termination of employment.
(b) This § applies only to an employer who receives an administrative writ of withholding in a Title IV-D case.
(c) An employer to whom this § applies may not make a lump-sum payment to the obligor in the amount of $500 or more without first notifying the Title IV-D agency to determine whether all or a portion of the payment should be applied to child support arrearages owed by the obligor.
JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING ISSUED BY CLERK
§ 158.301. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING; FILING.
§ 158.302. CONTENTS OF NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
§ 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.
§ 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 of the notice and the date of the hearing or the issuance of a judicial writ of withholding.
§ 158.306. DELIVERY OF NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING; TIME OF DELIVERY.
§ 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 withholding was received.
§ 158.308. EFFECT OF FILING MOTION TO STAY.
The filing of a motion to stay by an obligor in the manner provided by § 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.
§ 158.309. HEARING ON MOTION TO STAY.
(a) If a motion to stay is filed in the manner provided by § 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 the application for judicial writ of withholding of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
§ 158.310. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS.
(a) A defect in a notice of application for judicial writ of withholding is waived unless the respondent specially excepts in writing and cites with particularity the alleged defect, obscurity, or other ambiguity in the notice.
(b) A special exception under this § must be heard by the court before hearing the motion to stay issuance.
§ 158.311. ARREARAGES.
(a) Payment of arrearages after receipt of notice of application for judicial writ of withholding may not be the sole basis for the court to refuse to order withholding.
§ 158.312. REQUEST FOR ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY OF WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) If a notice of application for judicial writ of withholding is delivered and a motion to stay is not filed within the time limits provided by § 158.307, the party who filed the notice shall file with the clerk of the court a request for issuance of the writ of withholding stating the amount of current support, including medical support and dental support, the amount of arrearages, and the amount to be withheld from the obligor's income.
§ 158.313. ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY OF WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) On the filing of a request for issuance of a writ of withholding, the clerk of the court shall issue the writ.
§ 158.314. CONTENTS OF WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
The judicial writ of income withholding issued by the clerk must direct that the employer or a subsequent employer withhold from the obligor's disposable income for current child support, including medical support and dental support, and child support arrearages an amount that is consistent with the provisions of this chapter regarding orders of withholding.
§ 158.315. EXTENSION OF REPAYMENT SCHEDULE BY PARTY; UNREASONABLE HARDSHIP.
If the party who filed the notice of application for judicial writ of withholding finds that the schedule for repaying arrearages would cause the obligor, the obligor's family, or the children for whom the support is due from the obligor to suffer unreasonable hardship, the party may extend the payment period in the writ.
§ 158.316. PAYMENT OF AMOUNT TO BE WITHHELD.
The amount to be withheld shall be paid to the person or office named in the writ on each pay date and shall include with the payment the date on which the withholding occurred.
§ 158.317. FAILURE TO RECEIVE NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) Not later than the 30th day after the date of the first pay period following the date of delivery of the writ of withholding to the obligor's employer, the obligor may file an affidavit with the court that a motion to stay was not timely filed because the notice of application for judicial writ of withholding was not received by the obligor and that grounds exist for a motion to stay.
§ 158.319. ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY OF JUDICIAL WRIT OF WITHHOLDING TO SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYER.
(a) After the issuance of a judicial writ of withholding by the clerk, a party authorized to file a notice of application for judicial writ of withholding under this subchapter may issue the judicial writ of withholding to a subsequent employer of the obligor by delivering to the employer by certified mail a copy of the writ.
MODIFICATION, REDUCTION, OR TERMINATION OF WITHHOLDING
§ 158.401. MODIFICATIONS TO OR TERMINATION OF WITHHOLDING BY TITLE IV-D AGENCY.
(a) The Title IV-D agency shall establish procedures for the reduction in the amount of or termination of withholding from income on the liquidation of an arrearages or the termination of the obligation of support in Title IV-D cases. The procedures shall provide that the payment of overdue support may not be used as the sole basis for terminating withholding.
§ 158.402. AGREEMENT BY PARTIES REGARDING AMOUNT OR DURATION OF WITHHOLDING.
(b) The obligor and obligee may file a notarized or acknowledged request with the clerk of the court under § 158.011 for a revised judicial writ of withholding, including the termination of withholding.
(d) An agreement by the parties under this § does not modify the terms of a support order.
§ 158.403. MODIFICATIONS TO OR TERMINATION OF WITHHOLDING IN VOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING CASES.
(a) If an obligor initiates voluntary withholding under § 158.011, the obligee or an agency providing child support services may file with the clerk of the court a notarized request signed by the obligor and the obligee or agency, as appropriate, for the issuance and delivery to the obligor of a:
(b) On receipt of a request under this section, the clerk shall issue and deliver a modified writ of withholding or notice of termination in the manner provided by § 158.402.
(d) An obligee may contest a modified writ of withholding or notice of termination issued under this § by requesting a hearing in the manner provided by § 158.309 not later than the 180th day after the date the obligee discovers that the writ or notice has been issued.
§ 158.404. DELIVERY OF ORDER OF REDUCTION OR TERMINATION OF WITHHOLDING.
If a court has rendered an order that reduces the amount of child support to be withheld or terminates withholding for child support, any person or governmental entity may deliver to the employer a certified copy of the order without the requirement that the clerk of the court deliver the order.
§ 158.405. LIABILITY OF EMPLOYERS.
The provisions of this chapter regarding the liability of employers for withholding apply to an order that reduces or terminates withholding.
§ 158.501. ISSUANCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) The Title IV-D agency may initiate income withholding by issuing an administrative writ of withholding for the enforcement of an existing order as authorized by this subchapter.
(d) A domestic relations office may issue an administrative writ of withholding under this chapter in a proceeding in which the office is providing child support enforcement services. A reference in this code to the Title IV-D agency that relates to an administrative writ includes a domestic relations office, except that the writ must be in the form prescribed by the Title IV-D agency under § 158.504.
§ 158.502. WHEN ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT OF WITHHOLDING MAY BE ISSUED.
(a) An administrative writ of withholding under this subchapter may be issued by the Title IV-D agency at any time until all current support, including medical support and dental support, child support arrearages, and Title IV-D service fees authorized under § 231.103 for which the obligor is responsible have been paid. The writ issued under this subsection may be based on an obligation in more than one support order.
(b) The Title IV-D agency may issue an administrative writ of withholding that directs that an amount be withheld for an arrearage or adjusts the amount to be withheld for an arrearage. An administrative writ issued under this subsection may be contested as provided by § 158.506.
(c) The Title IV-D agency may issue an administrative writ of withholding as a reissuance of an existing withholding order on file with the court of continuing jurisdiction or a tribunal of another state. The administrative writ under this subsection is not subject to the contest provisions of §§ 158.505(a)(2) and 158.506.
§ 158.503. DELIVERY OF ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT TO EMPLOYER; FILING WITH COURT OR MAINTAINING RECORD.
(a) An administrative writ of withholding issued under this subchapter may be delivered to an employer by mail or by electronic transmission.
(1) not later than the third business day after the date of delivery of the administrative writ of withholding to an employer, file a copy of the writ, together with a signed certificate of service, in the court of continuing jurisdiction; or
(b-1) The certificate of service required under Subsection (b)(1) may be signed electronically.
§ 158.504. CONTENTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) The administrative writ of withholding must be in the form prescribed by the Title IV-D agency as required by this chapter and in a standard format authorized by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(b) An administrative writ of withholding issued under this subchapter may contain only the information that is necessary for the employer to withhold income for child support, medical support, and dental support and shall specify the place where the withheld income is to be paid.
§ 158.505. NOTICE TO OBLIGOR.
(1) notice that the withholding has commenced, including, if the writ is issued as provided by § 158.502(b), the amount of the arrearages, including accrued interest;
(2) except as provided by § 158.502(c), notice of the procedures to follow if the obligor desires to contest withholding on the grounds that the identity of the obligor or the existence or amount of arrearages is incorrect; and
(b) The notice required under this § may be sent to the obligor by:
§ 158.506. CONTEST BY OBLIGOR TO ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT OF WITHHOLDING.
(a) Except as provided by § 158.502(c), an obligor receiving the notice under § 158.505 may request a review by the Title IV-D agency to resolve any issue in dispute regarding the identity of the obligor or the existence or amount of arrearages. The Title IV-D agency shall provide an opportunity for a review, by telephonic conference or in person, as may be appropriate under the circumstances.
(c) If a review under this § fails to resolve any issue in dispute, the obligor may file a motion with the court to withdraw the administrative writ of withholding and request a hearing with the court not later than the 30th day after receiving notice of the agency's determination. Income withholding may not be interrupted pending a hearing by the court.
§ 158.507. ADMINISTRATIVE WRIT TERMINATING WITHHOLDING.
An administrative writ to terminate withholding may be issued and delivered to an employer by the Title IV-D agency when all current support, including medical support and dental support, child support arrearages, and Title IV-D service fees authorized under § 231.103 for which the obligor is responsible have been paid.
TEXAS FAMILY CODE, TITLE 5. SUBTITLE B. CHAPTER 158.