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Understanding Texas Custody
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Conservatorship
Possession and Access
Parenting Plans
Geographic Restrictions
In Texas, the legal term for custody is 'conservatorship.' It outlines the legal rights and duties of parents, including providing for the child's needs and making critical decisions about education, healthcare, and psychological welfare. Most cases involve Joint Managing Conservatorship, where both parents share these important responsibilities.
These terms describe the physical time each parent spends with the child. 'Possession' refers to when the parent has the child in their care, while 'access' refers to how the parent communicates and interacts with the child during the other parent's time. Texas law typically uses a Standard Possession Order as a baseline for these schedules.
A parenting plan serves as a roadmap for co-parenting post-separation. It is a comprehensive legal document detailing living arrangements, holiday schedules, communication protocols, and methods for resolving future parenting disputes. The objective is to provide a predictable structure that serves the child’s best interests.
To ensure that both parents remain active in the child's life, Texas custody orders often include a residency restriction. This limits the child's primary home to a specific geographic area—often Dallas County and contiguous counties—unless otherwise agreed upon or ordered by the court due to emergency circumstances.
Specialized Legal Support
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Emergency Circumstances
Paternity & Legal Rights
You can obtain orders from the court to protect your family within as little as 24 hours. Emergency custody intervention when safety and immediate child welfare are at stake
Establishing legal parentage to clarify custody rights, parental access, and financial support obligations while protecting the integrity of parent-child relationships.
Clear Legal Guidance
Speak with the Law Office of Michelle McKinney, LLC about your family law matter and the options available to you.