Whether you are involved in a child custody case that exists as a part of your divorce or as a stand-alone custody dispute, you may be interested in learning how a judge would decide issues related to child custody. After all, your children are the most crucial part of your case. If you can gather information about how a judge is likely to view your situation, that could offer you a significant advantage.
When you add kids into a divorce, that makes your case all the more complex; there are also many preconceived notions and assumptions that people hold regarding child custody and divorce cases as far as what parents can expect as far as custody decisions. Do judges favor mothers when it comes to handing out primary custody assignments? Can fathers only hope to win split custody? You need to know what the reality is in these situations and what a myth is created by people who don’t have direct knowledge.
Here is one thing that I have to learn regarding child custody and what people think are accurate beliefs about this subject: your instincts, assessments, and second-hand information may be completely wrong when we compare them to the law in Texas on child custody. Since a judge must follow the law, you need to know what our family code says about child custody. Only then can you have any basis to start hypothesizing about what a judge is likely to believe when it comes to child custody.
Custody is a term that your friends use- It’s not a legal concept in Texas.
Your friends, attorneys, television, and the movies all use and abuse the term custody greatly. This means that you are not likely to hear a judge say the word custody in a trial. Instead, the term conservatorship will be mentioned a great deal. Conservatorship refers to the rights and duties that you and your spouse hold about your children.
When we talk about rights and duties, we primarily mean the ability to make decisions for your child about their medical and educational needs. What sort of classes your child needs to be enrolled in, whether it is in your child’s best interests to be homeschooled, whether or not to allow your child to have that surgery or to try out other treatment modalities- these are examples of medical and educational decisions that a conservator of your child would make regularly.
Conservators also can spend time with their children. This is called possession. The periods you have your child correspond to a possession schedule that a judge can create if you and your opposing party cannot do so independently. Depending on your case’s specific circumstances, the judge will use their discretion to decide what is in the best interest of your children.
The ability to get information about different parts of your child’s life is also an essential aspect of conservatorship. For instance, if you have ever had problems getting appointment information from your child’s doctor because your wife told the physician’s office not to allow you to obtain it- a conservatorship order would see that you do not have that problem moving forward. Being able to have conservations with doctors, dentists, teachers, and other adults in your child’s life is an underappreciated yet essential aspect of parenting and conservatorship.
What does a judge look to when deciding conservatorship issues?
As I mentioned a moment ago, the Texas Family Code contains some guideposts for judges to look to assess evidence submitted in a trial regarding child custody issues. On the other hand, Texas judges have a great deal of latitude in making decisions regarding issues related to child custody. Finding a middle ground is what many judges will ultimately seek to do.
For instance, the judge has to look at the case from the best interests of the child’s perspective, but if your child is over the age of 12, they can speak to the judge about their preference as to which parent they want to live with with with primarily. A motion must be filed by either you or your spouse for this to occur. Otherwise, a judge can request that an in-person meeting occur. This does not happen regularly and is not an essential factor in every divorce or child custody case. However, it is a possible factor for a judge to consider.
On a more serious note, a judge will need to consider your child in danger of being harmed (mentally, physically, or emotionally) when determining custody and conservatorship questions related to your case. Unfortunately, it is a reality for too many kids that their home life is not as safe and loving as it should be. Through no fault of their own, parents and other family members can engage in behavior against their safety.
You need to be aware of the circumstances that are impacting your child and prepare for those. Do not hide information from your attorney because it causes you to look bad or think it is irrelevant. Be honest with your attorney and share information like this with them. The attorney can help you decide whether or not it is relevant. When in doubt, make your attorney aware of circumstances that can negatively or positively impact your child custody case.
A real-life example of how failing to share information with your attorney can cost you.
A few years back, I represented a young father in a child custody dispute that he was having with his child’s mother. The child’s mother had removed his young son from Texas and had taken him to Georgia to be closer to her family. Our client had agreed to let the mother take his son to see family, but his idea was that she would be returning the child to him after a week or so. These folks had no court orders and were “sharing” their child based on loosely agreed possession schedules.
Our client was surprised to get a phone call from the mother that she had a change of heart and that the kids would be staying with her for the near future in Georgia. Understandably, our client got very concerned and began searching for representation to help return his kids to Texas. Once he settled upon our office to represent him, we went about the work of getting the kids back home.
We filed a motion to have a hearing set to discuss these issues with the judge. As we were about to walk into the courtroom at the hearing, the attorney for the child’s mother handed me some paperwork that displayed a mugshot. The man photographed in the mugshot was, apparently, the uncle of my client. He was a convicted sex offender who was living in the same house as my client.
When I presented this information to my client, it became apparent that he was embarrassed that he hadn’t brought it up to me before. We were about to go in to see a judge who would be making an important decision regarding the overall custody of these kids- would they be ordered back to Texas? Could my client win a temporary primary conservatorship? Many questions could have been answered that day- and answered in our client’s favor- had he been honest with me about these things.
What we had to do was fight this battle when we had better ammunition to fight with. At that moment, we had nothing, in particular, that was strong about our case. Indeed, I wanted to avoid having this issue be brought before a judge. In the long run, it worked out ok for our client. The kids eventually came home to Texas, and he was able to win a split in the conservatorship area with the child’s mother. The situation could have been a lot worse concerning losing many rights and privileges associated with parenting.
What type of conservatorship arrangements is possible for your children?
Most parents involved in divorce and child custody cases will be named joint managing conservators of their children. This means that you and your opposing party will share most of the rights and duties associated with parenting your child. The difference between joint managing conservators is that you will be named the primary custodial parent. This is the parent with whom your kids reside primarily during the school year and is eligible to receive child support payments from the other parent.
The non-primary parent will visit the kids according to the possession schedule that I described to you earlier in this blog post. The typical possession schedule is what is known as a Standard Possession Order (SPO). First, third, and fifth weekends of each month during the school year, extended visits in July and during the summer, as well as alternating years of possession during the major holidays, are hallmarks of an SPO.
More infrequently is a Sole Managing Conservatorship ordered about a child custody case. A Sole Managing Conservatorship can be awarded if a judge believes that doing so is in the best interests of your child. A history of domestic violence on behalf of one parent, a history of committing other sorts of violent crimes, drug use, being an absentee parent, or a parent who does not believe they are capable of taking on the responsibilities of parenting could be named as mere possessory conservators of your child. This means that their parental rights and duties have been scaled way back but that they do have the right to have your child during specific, pre-determined periods.
The sole managing conservator of your child can determine where your child will live, can make all decisions regarding medical and psychiatric care, can make all decisions regarding your child’s education, and has the final say on where your child will worship and to what degree your child will participate in religious activities.
Ultimately the power to make decisions on custody rests in your hands.
Most child custody cases do not reach the inside of a courtroom. That is because the parties to a custody case will typically settle long before a trial. This is for the best since a judge. However, well-meaning, you will not have the time to make an informed decision as you and your opposing party on your child’s issues. So, if you can, it would make sense to allow yourselves an opportunity to create your plan. You two can work together on these issues and come up with very flexible, personalized options for a whole lot of things related to custody. It takes some work and some bargaining to get there, but most people think it is worth the effort to do so.
Questions about child custody in Texas? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
If you have any questions about the material presented to you today in our blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free of charge consultations six days a week to have your questions answered, and issues addressed directly. Thank you for your time and attention today, and I hope that our office will earn an opportunity to speak to you about how we can serve you and your family.
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Other Articles you may be interested in:
- 12 Texas Custody & Conservatorship Battle Tips
- Child Custody Basics in Texas
- Do I Have to Pay Child Support if I Have Joint Custody of My Child in Texas?
- Child Custody Basics in Texas
- Are Dads at a Disadvantage when trying to win 50/50 custody in a Texas Divorce?
- Sole Managing Conservator in a Child Custody Case in Texas?
- Help!! My Ex-Spouse Kidnapped my Child
- How Much Will My Texas Child Custody Case Cost?
- When Can a Minor Child Weigh in on Custody Decisions in Texas?“
- Child Custody Geographic Restrictions in Texas
Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC | Houston, Texas Child Custody Lawyers
The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, routinely handles matters that affect children and families. If you have questions regarding child custody, it’s essential to speak with one of our Houston, TX, child custody lawyers right away to protect your rights.
Our child custody lawyers in Houston, TX, are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and developing a strategy to meet those goals. Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online form.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
