Texas Child Custody Disputes

Child custody disputes are extremely sensitive and often overwhelming. Child custody cases are among the most complex cases that arise in family law. If you are facing a child custody dispute, Attorney Jessica Fritz can help. We handle contentious issues regarding child custody and care about helping you through to a solution that suits your child’s needs best.

Conservatorship, Custody and Visitation

Custody in Texas is called “managing conservatorship”.  Different types of conservatorship:

• Sole Managing Conservator – one parent has ‘sole custody’. When one parent is a sole managing conservator, the other parent is a “possessory conservator”. This parent has rights to visitation only. The sole managing conservator has the exclusive right to make decisions concerning all aspects of the child’s life. 
• Joint Managing Conservator – each parent has equal decision making power. They share ‘joint custody’. Texas law includes a preference for joint custody. 

Parental rights – Parents who have joint custody share parental rights and duties that are listed in the Texas Family Code. Some of these include the right to make decisions concerning the child’s education, the right to direct religious and moral training of the child, the right to consent to psychological treatment of the child and the right to consent to certain medical care. 

No Gender Preference – The Texas Legislature requires courts to decide custody based on the best interest of the child. If fact, the Texas Legislature has even clarified this requirement by now requiring that court make the custody determination “without regard” to gender. 

Visitation – ‘Possession’ refers to how much time the child spends with each parent.