Child custody cases and disputes can be the most emotionally and legally challenging times of
a parent’s life. When going through a child custody dispute you may have a great amount of
emotional involvement, which it is important that you understand how to navigate the complex
laws of Custody law. Our Arlington family lawyer is here to help you through this process.
I will now go over different types of commonly seen custody arrangements. The first type is sole
managing conservatorship, which is when one parent is granted the exclusive right to make
significant decisions in the child’s life. These decisions include education, medical care, and
other major decisions in a child’s life. The parent that is not awarded the sole managing
conservatorship is given visitation rights, which allows them to occasionally visit the child. There
are many reasons that a judge would grant a sole conservatorship and these include: family
abuse, drug or alcohol abuse/problems, absence in the child’s life, and many more reasons that
would affect the other parents’s ability to properly care for the child.
The second type of custody agreement is joint managing conservatorship which is the most
recommended and common type of custody agreement. This custody agreement allows for
both of the parents to make significant decisions in the child’s life. However, in some cases
there will be one parent who still may be known as the primary conservator, who has the final
say in where the child lives, while the other parent has visitation rights. A possession order will
be created in order to determine exactly when and how much time the other parent will have to
visit with the child. This type of custody agreement heavily emphasizes the joint participation of
both parents in the child’s life.
The third type of custody agreement is possessory conservatorship. In this custody agreement
the parent that is not named the primary conservator will be granted the title of possessory
conservator. In some special cases where it is deemed that both parents are not fit to parent
the child a non-parent will be given the role of primary conservator and both parents will be
given the title of possessory conservator. In determining the visitation for the possessory
conservator there is usually a standardized possession order given by each state. This order
outlines a general schedule to which the possessor can visit the child during the week, on
weekends, holidays and other special occasions. This goal of the courts is to allow the child to
have a routine to which they are able to visit the parents and have a general flow of life with
their parents who may not be the main caregivers.
Navigation of child custody cases can be extremely difficult and complicated, which is why it is
important to select an attorney who understands the nuances of different available
arrangements. Each custody case is unique and it is important to understand that the child will
suffer the most if the proper agreement is not met. So please, for the sake of the child choose
an attorney who is knowledgeable, confident, and understands the complexities of custody cases. Contact Brandy Austin Law Firm today to schedule a consultation.
References
Understanding the Different Types of Child Custody in Texas. (2023, November 06).