Filing for a Divorce or Custody in Texas When You Live Out of State
You don’t always have to live in Texas to file for divorce or child custody here. If you are out of state, but your spouse is a Texas resident, you can file in the county your spouse lives in. Texas, like most states, has residency requirements for divorce cases. In order to file a divorce,… Read More »
A Good Parenting Plan Goes a Long Way
Child custody agreements begin with assigning custody, or conservatorship, and determining the financial responsibilities of each parent. Whether you have shared custody or one parent is the sole conservator, you must present a parenting plan for court approval that details the rights and duties of each parent. Once the court signs off on the plan,… Read More »
Do You Need a Parenting Coordinator?
There are cases when divorced parents cannot reach a mutual agreement on child custody arrangements or adhere to their parenting plan. Sharing child care responsibilities and keeping on top of schedules is difficult even in the best of circumstances, but for former spouses with unresolved emotional issues or dysfunctional interpersonal styles, it can be impossible…. Read More »
Texas Vulnerable to International Parental Kidnapping
For many parents, their worst nightmare is discovering that someone has kidnapped their child. We generally assume that a kidnapper is a stranger, but in fact, most of these cases involve a parent disappearing with a child during a custody dispute or after a divorce. Tracking down a missing child in the United States is… Read More »
How Parental Drug or Alcohol Abuse Can Affect a Child
Consuming alcohol or using drugs — even illegal drugs — is regular behavior for many Americans. When an addiction causes serious health problems or leads to domestic violence or criminal activity, there is little disagreement that a person has an abuse issue. However, most people who abuse alcohol or drugs appear to lead normal, functional… Read More »
Alienation: The Low Road to High Conflict
In many divorce cases, claims of alienation are quick to surface when one party feels mistreated, either by the other party or by children of the marriage that is ending. In some cases, it is an empty attempt to gain the upper hand in a custody conflict; in other cases, evidence exists to support the… Read More »
What is the Difference Between Sole Managing Conservatorship and Joint Managing Conservatorship With Respect To Child Custody?
There are different legal designations with respect to child custody in Texas that describe the rights and responsibilities of the parents. The presumed, or default, arrangement is joint managing conservatorship. This means both parents share in the important decisions and responsibilities concerning their child, which include the following: Education Religion and moral instruction Medical care,… Read More »
Can a Stepparent Seek Child Possession in Texas?
Stepparents can play an important role in the upbringing of a child. In most cases, though, their legal right to child possession (custody) in Texas is limited. However, non-relatives who have played an important role in the child’s life and acted as a primary caretaker may be able to gain legal custody in certain circumstances…. Read More »
How Is Child Custody Handled if One Parent Relocates?
In most cases, Texas courts find that it is in the best interests of the child to have regular, ongoing contact with both parents. Therefore, if the custodial parent wants to relocate, he or she must prove that circumstances are such that the benefits to the child will outweigh the costs of the distance from… Read More »
DFPS Took My Child: What Can I Do?
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) may only remove a child from a home under a limited set of circumstances, and then usually only after a hearing. In rare cases, the DFPS may make an emergency removal of a child with no prior court order permitting it to do so. Then the… Read More »