Child Custody and Support Attorney in Brazos County, Texas
When your relationship with your child’s other parent falls apart, the fear that your children could suffer is natural. But with the right legal help, you can make sure your kids get the most out of life, while you get sensible and predictable child custody and support plans.
At C.E. Borman & Associates, we represent parents in Bryan, College Station, and communities throughout Brazos County who are dealing with a co-parent who refuses to play by the rules. Whether you need orders put in place for the first time or to hold your co-parent accountable for violating the ones already in place, our law firm is ready to go to work.
Attorney C.E. Borman has spent over two decades handling some of the toughest child custody and child support cases in Brazos County. She knows the local courts. She understands how cases move through the district courts and the Family Law Associate Court at the Brazos County Courthouse on E. 26th Street in Bryan. And she knows how to build a case that puts your children’s needs front and center.
C.E. Borman has spent over 20 years practicing family law in Brazos County. She handles cases that go to trial and settled many others on terms that fit her clients’ long-term needs. She understands how the judges in the 85th, 272nd, and 361st District Courts approach custody matters. She knows what evidence carries weight, what arguments tend to fall flat, and how to prepare a client for the realities of litigation.
When you are up against a co-parent who is determined to make things difficult, having an attorney who will not back down matters. Some co-parents count on the other side to give up out of exhaustion or frustration. C.E. Borman & Associates does not give up. We push back on unreasonable positions, call out violations of court orders, and make sure the judge hears a complete picture of what has been happening.
Beyond the courtroom, there is also the practical side of family law that many people underestimate. Parenting plans need to be specific. Vague possession schedules create conflict. Support orders need to account for insurance, medical expenses, and extracurricular costs. A well-drafted order, negotiated or litigated by an attorney who has seen how these disputes play out, can prevent years of future conflict.
If you are going through a divorce involving children, or if you were never married to your co-parent and need a custody and support order established for the first time, do not try to navigate this alone. The decisions made in your initial order can follow your family for years.
Child custody in Texas is not just about who the kids sleep with most nights. It covers something much bigger.
Texas refers to child custody as “conservatorship,” and parents are called conservators to reflect their legal rights and responsibilities.
Conservatorship determines decision-making authority on key issues like education, healthcare, and other important aspects of a child’s well-being, while also defining parental rights and responsibilities.
There are two main types of conservatorship in Texas:
Joint conservatorship does not automatically mean the child’s time is split equally between his or her parents. In most joint conservatorship orders, one parent will have the exclusive right to decide where the child lives, usually within a certain geographic area. This parent is called the custodial parent, and the child usually spends most of their time living with this parent.
Getting these arrangements right from the start matters. A poorly written order creates gaps that a difficult co-parent can exploit for years. Fortunately, it is never to late to change a conservatorship plan. Besides helping create initial plans, our family law attorneys also help modify existing ones.
Child support in Texas follows a percentage-based formula tied to the paying parent’s net monthly income. Net resources (meaning gross income minus certain deductions like taxes and the child’s insurance premiums) form the calculation base. Guideline percentages are 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more children.
Effective September 1, 2025, Texas increased its child support cap from $9,200 to $11,700 in monthly net resources, a significant change that affects how courts calculate support under state guidelines.
With the higher $11,700 limit, payments will now be calculated as follows: one child at 20% equals $2,340 per month, two children at 25% equals $2,925 per month, and three children at 30% equals $3,510 per month.
The cap serves as a framework for guideline calculations, not an absolute limit. Courts retain discretion to order support amounts above guidelines when circumstances warrant it, such as extraordinary medical needs or significantly high parental income.
If you already have a child support order in place that was set under the old cap, it does not update itself. Existing child support orders don’t change automatically. Parents must file a motion for modification. Our attorneys can review your current order and help you determine whether a modification makes sense for your situation.
This is one of the most frustrating situations a parent can face. You have a court order. Your co-parent ignores it. And you are left scrambling to figure out what to do next.
In Brazos County, enforcement actions can be filed through the district courts. The courts refer all cases filed through the Attorney General’s Office of Texas, including but not limited to paternity establishment, child support orders, modification of child support, and enforcement of child support orders. But the Attorney General’s process can be slow and limited in scope. As private attorneys, C.E. Borman and Associates can often move faster and pursue stronger remedies.
Common enforcement situations we handle include:
Texas courts take violations seriously. Contempt of court is a real consequence, and in some cases it can result in fines or even jail time for the non-compliant parent. C.E. Borman & Associates knows how to build a record that gives you the strongest possible position when you walk into that courtroom.
Life does not stay the same as it was the day the judge signed the child support or custody order. Parents change jobs, or lose their job. They move, perhaps far away. As the kids grow older, their educational, medical, social, and emotional needs can evolve. When there is a substantial change in circumstances, either parent may seek a modification of the existing custody or support order.
Texas child support laws take into consideration parents’ incomes, the needs of the child, and the amount of time spent with each parent when calculating monthly payments. So, for example, if your paying co-parent has gotten a significantly higher-paying job since the original order was entered, that may be grounds to seek an upward modification. Similarly, if you lost your job and had to take a lower-paying one, you could be entitled to a reduction in your support responsibilities.
Custody modifications follow a similar path. If your co-parent has developed a substance abuse problem, moved in with someone who poses a risk to your children, or is simply not showing up for their parenting time, those facts may support a change in the possession schedule or conservatorship arrangement. The standard in Texas is always what serves the best interest of the child. That phrase carries real weight in Brazos County courtrooms.
One detail many parents overlook: the timing of when you file matters. Waiting too long to address a problem can make it harder to prove that a change is necessary. Documenting issues as they happen, keeping records of missed exchanges, and saving communications from a difficult co-parent can all strengthen your case when the time comes.
We’ll learn more about your situation and discuss your options for moving forward.
Together, we’ll get to work resolving your issues – representing you through mediation and, if necessary, in court.
Almost certainly not. Sole managing conservatorship, which is what we call sole custody in Texas, gives one parent most of the major decision-making rights. It does not automatically eliminate the other parent’s time with the child. Texas law presumes that some form of joint conservatorship is inherently best for the child.
True sole custody, meaning one parent being named both the sole managing conservator and the sole possessory conservator, will only be granted if it is deemed the best option to protect the child’s health, safety, well-being, and development. In most cases where one parent is named sole managing conservator, the other parent still receives a possession schedule, often based on the standard possession order used throughout Texas.
No. Texas does not have a legal presumption of equal parenting time. Texas law says that parents should usually be named joint managing conservators, but it does not mean the child’s time is split equally between the parents.
Joint managing conservatorship means shared legal rights and duties. It does not dictate a 50-50 possession split. Courts in Brazos County set possession schedules based on the best interest of the child, considering factors like each parent’s work schedule, the child’s school and activities, the distance between the parents’ homes, and the history of each parent’s involvement.
Under Texas guidelines, child support is calculated as a percentage of the paying parent’s net monthly resources, up to a cap. Starting September 1, 2025, the new Texas child support cap increased to $11,700, raising the monthly obligation for one child from $1,840 to $2,340.
Guideline percentages are 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more children. So at the cap, the guideline maximum for one child is $2,340 per month, and for five children it reaches $4,680 per month. Courts may go beyond the guideline amount if a child’s proven needs require more support. Income above the cap is generally not included in the standard formula, though a court may consider it in certain circumstances. If you have questions about how these numbers apply to your specific income and family situation, speaking with one of our attorneys is the most reliable way to get a clear picture.
