For two children before the court, the Texas guideline is 25% of the paying parent's monthly net resources (Family Code §154.125). That's 5 points more than the 20% for one child — and it's applied to net resources, not gross pay.
Sample amounts for two children
These examples assume a single W-2 employee using the Texas Attorney General's 2026 tax method to convert gross wages to net resources. Yours may differ with health-insurance deductions or other income.
| Monthly gross income | Net resources | Support (25%) |
|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $2,592 | $648 |
| $4,000 | $3,396 | $849 |
| $5,000 | $4,199 | $1,050 |
| $6,000 | $4,957 | $1,239 |
| $8,000 | $6,364 | $1,591 |
| $10,000 | $7,771 | $1,943 |
What if the two children have different mothers or fathers?
The 25% figure is for two children in the same case. If the paying parent also supports children in another household, Texas uses a different, lower percentage table under §154.129 — for example, the percentage for "2 children before the court" steps down when there are additional children elsewhere. Those multi-family situations aren't captured by the simple calculator and are worth an attorney's review.
Low-income rule
If the paying parent's net resources are below $1,000/month, two children fall under the low-income schedule at 20% instead of 25%.
What the 25% does — and doesn't — cover
The 25% covers the children's everyday support — housing, food, clothing, and basic needs. It does not include the children's health and dental insurance or uninsured medical bills. Texas orders medical and dental support separately (§154.182), usually by making one parent carry insurance and the parents split co-pays and deductibles. So a two-child order is typically 25% of net resources plus medical and dental support on top of it.
Does 50/50 custody change the 25%?
Not on its own. Many parents assume equal possession cancels child support, but Texas guideline support is driven mainly by the paying parent's income, not the exact number of overnights. With two children and a real income gap, the higher earner is often still ordered to pay something near the guideline. A judge can deviate from 25% when possession is equal (§154.123), but that's a discretionary decision, not an automatic result.
A step-by-step example
Two children, paying parent earns $6,000/month gross as a W-2 employee with no insurance deduction:
- Gross $6,000 → net resources ≈ $4,957
- Two children → 25%
- $4,957 × 25% = $1,239/month in base support
- Plus the children's health/dental insurance and a share of uninsured medical costs
What happens when one child ages out?
A Texas child-support duty for a particular child generally ends when that child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later. When the older of two children ages out, support does not automatically drop to the one-child rate. The paying parent (or the Attorney General) usually has to request a modification to step the order down from 25% to 20% — until that happens, the 25% keeps running.
Starting or changing a two-child order
You don't always need a private attorney. The Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division can open a case, establish an order, and review existing orders for free. An order can be modified when three years have passed and the guideline figure would change by at least 20% or $100, or when there's a material and substantial change in circumstances such as a job loss, a raise, or a child aging out (§156.401).