In Texas, the more colloquial term “custody” is referred to as “conservatorship,” legally speaking. Ultimately, there are two types of conservatorship: sole managing conservatorship and joint managing conservatorship. Barring extenuating circumstances, the law presumes that both parents should be appointed joint managing conservators, which means you will need to come to agreement on issues such as:

• A visitation schedule that takes into account holidays, weekends and school vacations
• Consenting to the child enlisting in the armed forces or entering into marriage
• Deciding on medical care, psychological care and education
• Choosing where the child lives

It is important to realize that in the case of a joint managing conservatorship, rights are not necessarily equally split and the court may configure conservatorship based on how it sees fit. We can help with issues such as:

• Ensuring you pay or receive a fair amount of child support
• Establishing paternity so you can have a relationship with your child
• Negotiating visitation agreements for grandparents
• Represent you in SAPCR proceedings so you can maintain a relationship with your child