Matters of child custody and conservatorship in Texas can be difficult for parents to address on their own. Particularly when they are entrenched in their own divorces, parents may struggle to ensure that they are able to give enough time and attention to the legal issues that may impact their kids. In these stressful situations, parents can work with dedicated family law attorneys to help them understand and make decisions that will support their kids’ needs.
In Texas, parents can share in the custodial duties of raising their children, or one parent can be granted conservatorship of them. In the latter situation, a parent without conservatorship rights may seek visitation time with them, which is referred to as possession and access to a child in the state. There are different forms that possession and access to a child can take.
- Supervised vs. unsupervised time: A plan for visitation between a child and a parent can either be unsupervised or supervised. If it is supervised, it is generally because the health and welfare of the child may be in danger and a third party must be present during the meeting time.
- Scheduled vs. reasonable time: Some parents may seek to establish set schedules that dictate when a noncustodial parent will have possession and access to their child or children. For others, a more fluid approach may work better.
- Visitation by agreement vs. court order: Some parents are able to work out how their conservatorship and visitation schedules should function without talking to a judge about them, while others need judicial intervention. If parents can make agreements about these matters, their courts may adopt them rather than formulating their own orders.
This post provides information only and no legal advice. Readers should not guess how their custodial matters may resolved based on its content. The guidance of a divorce and family law attorney should be sought by any reader with case-specific questions.
