If you have an adult child with a disability or are providing primary care for a child who is not biologically your own, you may want to consider a guardianship. This is a legal status where you take on the responsibilities for providing care and for making legal decisions on behalf of another individual. When deciding whether to become a guardian, it is important to know the pros and cons of guardianship. This is Read More
7 Most Important Factors in Child Custody Decisions
Going through a divorce is always hard, but things become much more difficult and complex when custody of children is part of the divorce negotiations. Children automatically raise the stakes in the divorce proceedings, as few parents ever want to give up time with their little ones. When a divorcing couple cannot agree upon terms for custody and for a parenting plan through negotiations, custody decisions will be Read More
Signs Of Parental Alienation
Parental alienation is a form of manipulation. It occurs when one parent discredits or degrades the other parent in front of their child. Though this person is no longer married to you, they are still a parent to your child. Children continue to look up to their parents after the divorce, and parental alienation harms their overall development and mental health. Furthermore, it fractures a child’s relationship with Read More
How Does a Parenting Plan Work in Texas?
If you are new to Texas or have limited experience with family law, you should understand a few key terms. For instance, many states divide child custody into legal custody and physical custody. Texas, too, has two different categories of custody, but they are called something entirely different: Conservatorship Possession & Access Having conservatorship grants you the ability to make decisions for Read More
What Are Reasons to Modify Child Custody?
During the divorce process, you and your spouse either agreed about dividing everything from your home to the time you get with your children. If you couldn’t, this was resolved through mediation or court. Though it is common to use words such as “custody” or “visitation,” the state of Texas does not use these. Custody is referred to as “conservatorship.” Visitation is “possession and access.” There Read More
5 Important Factors to Consider when Developing a Visitation Schedule
One of the most difficult parts of a divorce, or a break up when children are involved, is making a visitation schedule. In most cases, both parents are going to want to have as much time with the child as possible, which is why conflicts can so easily arise. If both parents work hard to put the best interests of the kids first, however, a good schedule can be made that will work for everyone involved. When creating Read More
Understanding Texas Child Custody Law
There are two important aspects of child custody in Texas. The first is conservatorship. Conservatorship is the right of parents to make decisions regarding a child’s education, medical treatment, and other important matters. One parent can make all decisions--sole managing conservatorship—or the parents can make decisions jointly—joint managing conservatorship. The court makes conservatorship decisions based on the Read More
Texas lawmaker proposes equal parenting child custody law
A Texas lawmaker has introduced an equal parenting bill, but the proposal has been criticized by many family law experts. Critics of proposal say custody should be decided on a case-by-case basis A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill in the state capitol, proposing equal parenting child custody law that would encourage equal parenting time between both parents, according to CBS Dallas-Forth Worth. The bill would Read More
Texas child support enforcement focuses on negligent parents
Texas officials use several tactics to enforce child support payments, including the Child Support Evaders Program. Some Texas divorces may lead to major financial and emotional life transformations, which can make it particularly difficult for any children who are involved. In most cases, the court will order the non-custodial parent to pay child support, as a way to minimize the financial change that occurs in Read More
In the child’s best interest: Texas custody and visitation
Nothing is more important than the responsibility of a parent for his or her child's well being. When parents do not live together, legal questions of Texas custody and visitation must be decided, and that process can be extremely stressful. Custody and visitation can be determined in divorce or legal separation, or when the parents are unmarried. Texas terminology Family law matters are mostly governed by state law. Read More
