Every parent has an obligation to financially support their children. If you have a child with someone with whom you are not in a relationship, then you can get a child support order.
According to the Attorney General of Texas, there are two ways in which you can secure a child support order. You can go through the court or the child support review process.
Court process
Court is only an option if you cannot go through the CSRP. The idea is to avoid court if possible since the system can get busy and backed up. The court process is much lengthier than CSRP. You may have multiple court dates.
When you first request a hearing, you will get a court date set by the court and paperwork telling you when your hearing is. At the hearing, you will meet with the Assistant Attorney General or a child support officer prior to going into the courtroom. You will have a chance to negotiate a deal at that time.
If you do not reach a deal, you will go into court before the judge. The judge will hear all the details of your case and make a ruling.
CSRP
The CSRP requires meeting at the local Child Support Division office. You and the other parent will meet with a child support officer to negotiate and set the terms of your support order. If you reach an agreement, the CSO will draw up the paperwork to submit to a judge. A judge must sign it to make it legally binding. If you cannot reach an agreement, you will have to go to court.
You cannot use CSRP if you or the other parent is a minor or if there are concerns about safety due to family violence issues. In those cases, you would go to court instead.