Co-Parenting Expense Rules in Texas (2026)

If you are a divorced or separated co-parent in Texas, understanding how the state handles child-related expenses can save you thousands of dollars in disputes and legal fees. Texas uses a straightforward percentage-of-income model for basic child support, but adds a separate layer for medical costs that catches many parents off guard. Here is how it all works.

How Texas Handles Shared Child Expenses

Texas family law presumes that both parents should be named Joint Managing Conservators (JMCs) of their children (Texas Family Code Section 153.131). This does not mean equal custody time -- it means both parents share in the rights and duties of raising the child, including financial responsibilities.

The financial framework has two main components:

1. Guideline child support -- a percentage of the obligor's net resources paid monthly to the custodial parent (Chapter 154 of the Texas Family Code)
2. Medical and dental support -- a separate court order covering health insurance premiums and uninsured medical expenses (Sections 154.181 through 154.185)

Compared to states like California, where courts can order parents to split dozens of add-on expense categories, Texas keeps the basic structure simpler. Guideline support is meant to cover most day-to-day costs, and medical support handles healthcare. Everything else -- extracurriculars, private school, travel sports -- is either addressed in your specific decree or subject to negotiation.

This simplicity is a double-edged sword. It makes the baseline easy to calculate, but it also means that if your decree does not address a specific expense category, there is no automatic statute requiring your co-parent to split it.

What Texas Child Support Covers

Texas calculates guideline child support as a percentage of the obligor's monthly net resources (the parent paying support). Net resources include salary, wages, tips, bonuses, self-employment income, rental income, and most other income sources, minus social security taxes, federal income taxes, union dues, and health insurance premiums for the child.

Guideline Percentages

These percentages apply to net resources up to a statutory cap. For 2025, the cap on net resources is $9,200 per month (updated periodically by the legislature). If the obligor earns more than the cap, the court can order additional support above the guideline amount based on the child's proven needs.

What guideline support is meant to cover

Guideline child support is a single monthly payment intended to cover the child's share of:

• Housing (rent or mortgage contribution)
• Food and groceries
• Clothing
• Basic school supplies
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Everyday personal care items

The key concept: guideline support is not itemized. The receiving parent is not required to account for how each dollar is spent. The paying parent cannot demand receipts for basic support. This is one of the most common misunderstandings in Texas co-parenting.

Example calculation

Suppose Parent A (the obligor) has monthly net resources of $6,000 and there are 2 children before the court:

• Guideline support = 25% of $6,000 = $1,500 per month

That $1,500 is intended to cover the children's basic needs while with the custodial parent. It is not broken down by category.

Medical and Dental Support Orders

This is where Texas differs from many states. Under Texas Family Code Sections 154.181 through 154.185, the court must issue a separate medical support order in every case involving child support. This is not optional -- it is required by statute.

The medical support order has two parts:

1. Health insurance coverage

The court will order one or both parents to provide health insurance for the child. The order typically follows this priority:

1. If a parent has access to employer-sponsored group insurance at a reasonable cost, they will be ordered to enroll the child.
2. "Reasonable cost" is defined as no more than 9% of the obligor's annual gross income for the insurance premium attributable to the child (Texas Family Code Section 154.181(e)).
3. If neither parent has access to affordable group coverage, the court may order one parent to obtain private insurance or order cash medical support to help cover the cost.

2. Uninsured medical expenses

For expenses not covered by insurance -- copays, deductibles, orthodontia, therapy, prescription costs -- the court will order a split. Common arrangements include:

• 50/50 split of all uninsured medical expenses
• Proportional split based on each parent's income (for example, 60/40)
• One parent pays first $X, then splits the remainder

The specific split is written into your decree or medical support order. If your decree says "each parent shall pay 50% of uninsured medical expenses," that is an enforceable court order -- not a suggestion.

Example: Child needs braces

Your child's orthodontist recommends braces at a cost of $5,000. Insurance covers $1,500, leaving $3,500 in uninsured costs.

• If your decree orders a 50/50 split of uninsured medical expenses: each parent pays $1,750
• If your decree orders a proportional split (65/35 based on income): the higher earner pays $2,275 and the other pays $1,225

The critical point: check your decree for the exact language. If braces are not excluded from the definition of "medical and dental expenses" (they almost never are), they fall under the medical support order.

Extracurricular Activities and Education

Here is where many Texas co-parents run into conflict. Unlike California, which has a specific statute (Family Code Section 4062) allowing courts to order parents to split costs for extracurriculars, tutoring, and educational programs, Texas has no equivalent statute.

In Texas, extracurricular expenses are handled through one of three paths:

Path 1: Your decree addresses it

Some decrees include specific language such as: "The parents shall equally divide the cost of one extracurricular activity per child per season, agreed upon by both Joint Managing Conservators." If your decree has this language, it is enforceable as a court order.

Path 2: Modification of the existing order

If your decree is silent on extracurriculars, a parent can file a petition to modify the support order to include these costs. This requires going back to court and showing that the modification serves the child's best interest.

Path 3: Agreement between JMCs

Both parents agree informally or in writing to split specific costs. This is the most common approach, but it carries a risk: informal agreements are generally not enforceable as court orders. If your co-parent agrees to split soccer fees over text and then stops paying, you cannot file a contempt motion based on a text message.

The bottom line on extracurriculars

If your decree is silent on extracurricular costs, your co-parent has no legal obligation to pay for them. The parent who enrolls the child bears the cost unless both parents agree otherwise or the court orders a modification.

This is a critical reason to negotiate specific extracurricular language during your divorce or custody proceedings. Vague language like "parents shall cooperate on activities" is not the same as "parents shall split extracurricular costs equally."

Private school and tutoring

The same principle applies to private school tuition and tutoring. Texas courts generally do not order parents to pay for private school unless:

• Both parents previously agreed to private education (and it is reflected in the decree)
• The child has special needs that require a specific educational setting
• The standard of living during the marriage included private education

If the decree does not mention private school, the parent who wants it typically bears the full cost.

The "Reasonable and Necessary" Standard

When Texas courts evaluate requests for additional expense sharing beyond guideline support, they apply a "reasonable and necessary" standard. This comes up most often in disputes over:

• Medical procedures not clearly covered by the medical support order
• Expensive extracurricular programs
• Educational expenses beyond public school
• Travel costs for visitation

A court will consider factors including:

• The child's actual needs (not just wants)
• Both parents' financial resources (including the resources of their current households)
• The child's standard of living before separation (were they already in travel sports or private school?)
• Whether both parents agreed to the expense or one parent acted unilaterally

Example: Travel baseball

Parent A enrolls the child in a travel baseball league at $3,000 per season without consulting Parent B. Parent A then asks Parent B to pay half.

If the decree is silent on extracurriculars, Parent B has no obligation to pay. Even if Parent A files for a modification, the court will evaluate whether travel baseball is "reasonable and necessary" given both parents' incomes and the child's interests. A court might find it reasonable for a high-income family but unreasonable if both parents are struggling financially.

The practical takeaway: always discuss major expenses with your co-parent before committing. Unilateral decisions rarely lead to successful reimbursement claims.

Modifying Your Support Order

Life changes. Jobs are lost, raises happen, children develop new needs. Texas allows modification of child support orders under Texas Family Code Section 156.401 if:

1. Material and substantial change in circumstances has occurred since the last order -- such as a significant income change, job loss, new medical needs, or a change in the child's living arrangements, OR

2. Three years have passed since the order was last set or modified, AND the current order differs by 20% or $100 per month from what the guidelines would produce based on current net resources.

The three-year rule is particularly useful. If you have not modified support in three or more years and your co-parent's income has changed significantly, you likely have grounds for modification without proving a "material and substantial change" -- you just need to show the guideline amount would be meaningfully different.

What counts as "material and substantial"

Texas courts have found the following to be sufficient grounds:

• Loss of employment or significant income reduction
• Substantial pay raise or new income source
• Child developing a medical condition or disability
• Change in custody or possession schedule
• A parent becoming responsible for additional children
• Significant change in health insurance costs

What does not usually qualify

• Minor income fluctuations
• Voluntary unemployment or underemployment (the court can impute income based on earning capacity)
• A parent's preference to pay less
• General inflation without specific changed circumstances

Documentation Best Practices

Whether you are tracking expenses for a potential modification, proving compliance with your decree, or preparing for a dispute, documentation is your strongest tool in Texas family court.

What Texas courts want to see

Critical tips for Texas co-parents

1. Get everything in writing. Texas courts give far more weight to written agreements than verbal ones. If you agree to split an expense over the phone, follow up with a confirmation text or email.

2. Read your decree carefully. The specific language in your decree controls what each parent owes. Phrases like "shall" vs. "may" and "equally" vs. "proportionally" have different legal meanings.

3. Pay medical expenses promptly. Many Texas decrees require reimbursement of uninsured medical expenses within 30 days of receiving documentation. Missing this deadline can put you in contempt.

4. Track your guideline support payments separately from additional expenses. If you pay extra for braces or activities on top of monthly support, document that these are separate payments -- not an advance or overpayment of guideline support.

5. Use an expense-tracking tool. Keeping records in a shared app or platform gives both parents visibility and creates a clear paper trail. This is exactly what CoParentSplit is built for.

Key Statutes and Resources

Understanding Texas family law starts with knowing where to look. Here are the primary statutes and resources relevant to co-parenting expenses:

Texas Family Code

• Chapter 154 -- Child Support -- Guideline calculations, net resources definition, percentage tables, and the statutory cap on net resources.
• Sections 154.181 -- 154.185 -- Medical Support -- Health insurance obligations, uninsured expense splitting, and the 9% affordability threshold.
• Section 156.401 -- Modification -- Requirements for modifying an existing support order, including the three-year rule and material-and-substantial-change standard.

State Resources

• Office of the Attorney General -- Child Support Division -- The state agency that handles child support enforcement, payment processing, and guideline calculators.
• Texas Law Help -- Free legal information and self-help resources for Texans who cannot afford an attorney.
• Texas Courts Self-Help -- Court forms, filing guides, and procedural information for parents representing themselves.

Additional Resources

• Texas Family Code -- Full Text -- The complete Texas Family Code for reference on any family law question.
• Child Support Calculator (Attorney General) -- The official online calculator for estimating guideline child support based on your income and number of children.