Texas Child Custody

The family court always favors custody verdicts that are in the “best interests of the child” and as such can dictate the rights and requirements of parents where shared custody (technically referred to as ‘joint conservatorship’) has been granted.

Shared Custody is a tricky balance to get right, but if you want to avoid involvement from the courts and make your custody agreement work for the best interests of your daughter or son, plenty of planning will be necessary to determine how to make the move between the two homes as smooth as is workable.

An example of a good routine in a joint conservatorship is to set up a jointly agreed upon system of house rules in both places of residence. Often parents are tempted to immediately change rules that were a source of exasperation during the marriage or that remind them of their former partner. Such incongruities though can be troublesome for the child, and even push them to accommodate their behaviour between homes.

As a result, children can become very good at pleasing or even manipulating circumstances between the homes for their own gain in situations where parents are still emotionally at risk. This is not because children are in essence wicked but is simply a survival strategy. A child wants consistency of rules and schedules between homes, for both personal peace and for their healthy emotional and physical development.

Creating this consistency may require repeated phone calls and meetings between parents to determine the needs of the child and the working out of a plan together, so that there are obvious expectations and little room for emotional manipulation. Make sure, as far as is possible, that both homes are in agreement on rules regarding bedtimes, tv viewing, internet use and going out with familiar companions.

As your child grows, these rules will, of course, need to be revisited together and alterations implemented co-operatively. In truth, parents who agree to a joint custody arrangement because they are openly looking to the best interests of the child need to put in the stage in your life that you spent necessary to make it work. They also need to be ready to change the deal should the needs of the child change.

When a child decides that he or she would now like to spend added time in the home of one particular parent, there is often an impossible guilt that they feel over choosing one parent above the other. Parents need to be proactive in freeing their child from this guilt by making it explicit that the arrangements have been created to serve their best interests and not your needs, and that you are therefore always open to vary them.

Research still suggests that most children are more settled in one permanent residence. Parents often see joint custody as an arrangement that satisfies their ‘rights’, but the peril is that the child’s needs will be lost sight of in the process. Shared Custody is achievable, and it can work superbly, but, as in any custody agreement, a willingness to be adaptable and to put the child first are the keys to success.

For more information on Shared custody – working together:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com/texas-family-law-and-shared-custody.php

Your earliest thought after a long-term relationship breakdown might be to move as far away from your ex as possible – getting away from Texas and moving interstate – but this can cause all sort of complications if there is a little one involved: emotional, social, and also legal problems!

Keep in mind that the Texas Family Court considers the interest of the child to be the key determining factor when determining custody, and a parent who moves away from the scene after a relationship breakdown is rarely identified as acting in the best interests of the children.

Maintaining some degree of permanence for your little ones through the disruption of family breakdown is crucial, and you need to understand that your child’s whole notion of ‘home’ is one that was developed from within that environment you created when you and your former partner were still in a relationship.

Therefore you should avoid uprooting your children from the family residence if at all possible, especially in the early months after separation.

Staying at your residence may be difficult, particularly if you have friends or neighbors whose very presence reminds you of the pain of your relationship breakdown, and you may yearn for the support of your family and friends, who may live a long way away. Yet this is the home of your children home. And the ‘home’ is more than four walls and a bed. It also consists of friends, sporting clubs, and your child’s well-known recreational hangouts, all of which your child may depend on now more than ever!

If you are the parent you has been forced to leave the family home, this makes the matter of place of residency no less important, and you should weigh up very carefully about how to maintain a stable environment for your child when you choose where to live.

From a practical standpoint, living closer to your spouse also means that a joint custody option is more workable.

By remaining close to your child’s buddies, this also allows play-dates to continue in the familiar way, babysitting arrangements can be more easily administered, as can the logistics of collecting forgotten belongings from your child’s other home.

If you give thought to the long-term, you’ll realise that living close by means that you can better support the other parent with school pick-up’s where one of you is delayed, and in a variety of other practical matters. This all means more “normal” time spent with your child that improves the position of both parents and the children.

And keep in mind that these issues are not solely personal family matters. They are also legal issues, and can play a basic role in determining custody cases. The family court in Texas awards custody by defining what is in the best interests of the little ones, and it is seldom going to be in the best interest of the little ones if one of the parents relocates interstate, most especially if they are planning on taking their children with them.

For more information on Custody Laws – what if I move interstate?:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com

Custody struggles destroy people.

Those who have been through a difficult custody action understand why these confrontations are associated with very high rates of both suicide and homicide.

Family court judges often live in fear of their resides, as disappointed parents frequently blame them for tearing their family apart. More often though, a bad custody suit leads to self-harm, especially in the case of fathers, who tend to be the ones who often feel discriminated against by the family family court system.

The best cure for this anxiety, of course, is to stay away from going to court completely. Try your hardest to reach an agreeable arrangement with your former partner, without bringing in legal intermediaries.

Either way though, while your highest priority needs to be discovering a custody arrangement that is in the best interests of your little one, your number two priority must be to cope with the pressure of the custody preparations without passing that trauma on to your child.

Avoid allowing your daughter or son to take part in any of your emotional difficulties that are connected with your failed marriage. This is particularly damaging where a child is allowed to feel responsible for the divorce, or when one parent often plays the role of the “victim”, leaving the little ones feeling that they need to do something to remedy the situation!

Remember that your children loves you both, and it is not their fault that your connection did not work. They did not cause your marriage breakdown and they cannot fix it.

You must assume the responsibility for this yourself, and if you need support (as we all do) you need to get it from other adults – siblings, parents or familiar companions – and not from your child.

The uncomplicated rule is this: do not dialogue with your son or daughter about your child custody case. If they ask you how it is progressing, assure them that both mum and dad are both working hard to agree on an arrangement that is greatest for them (the child) and leave it at that.
If your child won’t let up on the questioning, it can be very difficult to avoid going into details, but you must do your best to avoid sharing hurt and bitterness with your children, as you do not want your agony to become their pain.

A trained family counsellor can be an invaluable asset in these conditions, for both parents and child. In some situations, it may even be possible (and very useful) for an experienced counsellor to arbitrate discussion between a child and both parents. Do not attempt this though without help. The dynamics of such a dialogue can be very challenging to control, and the potential negative consequences are far too serious if things go awry.

Custody law cases are painful for everybody – children, parents and the public at large – and there is only ever one good reason for entering into a custody case in the first place: you are anxious for best interests of your little ones. If then you really are striving for the best interests of your son or daughter, be assured that it will never be in their best interests to involve them in the anguish of the custody battle.

For more information on Getting through your Custody Dispute:

http://www.custodyrights.org

The family court always favors custody verdicts that are in the “best interests of the child” and as such can mandate the rights and responsibilities of parents where shared custody (technically referred to as ‘joint conservatorship’) has been granted.

Shared Custody is a difficult balance to achieve, but if you want to avoid interference from the courts and make your custody agreement work for the best interests of your children, plenty of consideration will be necessary to determine how to make the transition between the two homes as smooth as is workable.

An example of a good practice in a joint conservatorship is to set up a jointly agreed upon system of house rules in both houses. Often parents are tempted to instantaneously change rules that were a source of dissatisfaction during the marriage or that remind them of their ex. Such inbalances though can be unsettling for the child, and even push them to accommodate their behaviour between homes.

As a result, children can become very accomplished at pleasing or even manipulating situations between the homes for their own profit in situations where parents are still emotionally vulnerable. This is not because children are basically naughty but is simply a survival strategy. A child wants consistency of rules and schedules between homes, for both peace-of-mind and for their healthy emotional and physical development.

Preparing this consistency may require frequent phone calls and meetings between parents to discuss the needs of the child and the working out of a calendar together, so that there are explicit expectations and little room for emotional tricks. Ensure, as far as is possible, that both homes are in agreement on rules regarding bedtimes, tv viewing, internet use and going out with buddies.

As your child grows, these rules will, of course, need to be reviewed together and alterations implemented co-operatively. In truth, parents who enlist a joint custody arrangement because they are openly looking to the best interests of the child need to put in the stage in your life that you spent necessary to make it work. They also need to be happy to change the deal should the needs of the child change.

When a child resolves that he or she would now like to spend added time in the home of one particular parent, there is regularly an impossible guilt that they feel over choosing one parent above the other. Parents need to be proactive in freeing their son or daughter from this guilt by making it obvious that the arrangements have been set up to serve their best interests and not your needs, and that you are therefore always open to alter them.

Research still suggests that most children are more settled in one home. Parents often see joint custody as an agreement that satisfies their ‘rights’, but the hazard is that the child’s needs will be overlooked in the process. Shared Custody is achievable, and it can work superbly, but, as in any custody contract, a willingness to be adaptable and to put the child first are the essential factors leading to success.

For more information on Making shared custody work:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com/texas-family-law-and-shared-custody.php

Unfortunately the difficulty caused by a relationship breakdown is never restricted to the once-happy couple.

We all take into account nowadays that while husband and wife may be struggling enormously, their kids are probably suffering most of all, and the more the parents endure, the greater is the pressure on their little ones.

Often ignored in this cycle of damage though are the grandparents. They too have their connection with their grandchildren threatened by the the breakdown of a marriage, and in their case it can be both a practical impediment and a legal problem to maintain the relationship!

The end of the bond between dad amd mom should not need to mean the close of the grandparent’s connection with their grandchild. In fact, with the unique exception of cases where the grandparent relationship is being used by one of the parents for their own profit, it is always going to be in the greatest interest of the kids for them to be able to continue their other significant associations, like that unique relationship with grandpa and grandma.

In Texas, it is not normally a legal agreement for a biological or adoptive grandparent to file for custody of their grandchildren, as family law upholds that the best interest of the children are normally served by maximizing contact with their parents, providing that they have shown themselves willing to serve the child’s best interests.

There are obviously exceptions to this rule, and in cases where there is reason to suggest that the child is at risk of some form of abuse, the grandparents can take the initiative and file a suit, suing for custody! This is not the norm of course, even in dire situations, as regularly it is the court itself that takes the initiative in bringing in the grandparents.

Indeed, if mum and dad fail to show themselves trustworthy enough to manage custody of the children, the grandparents are generally the initial persons approached by the court for custody. Otherwise, the court has to contemplate other relatives as potential custodians, especially where the parents of a child are dead or in jail.

These are of course the extreme alternatives – where grandparents are either taking custody of their grandchildren or are kept out of their lives altogether! In the greater number of cases, the grandparents just have to go through similar struggles to those of the non-custodial parent – doing their best to organise access times that fit in with the new schedule, while at the same time giving first place to their grandchildren’s separated parents!

The judge can of course order that a grandparent be given reasonable possession or access to a grandchild, but they will normally leave these arrangements to be worked out privately with the parents.
Ultimately a grandparent is in an exclusive position to assist the grandchild through a difficult time and dad and mom need to accept this.

Indeed, the grandparents should work hard during a time of family dissolution to make themselves available to their children and children’s kids, while of course remaining careful to avoid taking sides and letting their aggravation fall on to any of the little ones!

Hopefully the time the kids spend with nan and pop will be time to rest and recover from the complications of their lives.

For more information on Custody Rulings and the place of grandparents

http://[www.texaschild-custody.com]

In most states, a court’s decision about child custody during a divorce used to be simple to make. The judge would give custody to the mom. The dad got alternating weekend visitation. Now, custody decisions are drastically more complex. Many states have adopted a standard called “best interests of the child.” Judges are required to weigh a list of factors to find out which parent is the correct custodian of the children. The level of complexity in custody decisions has drastically risen and decisions are no longer clear-cut.Florida is one state that places an emphasis on the protection of children involved in a divorce. The preeminent interests of the child are the guiding principles in Florida. Domestic relations law of the state outline a catalog of factors a judge must consider in every custody decision:
1. the child’s school and home history;
2. the permanence of the child’s proposed home;
3. the continuity of the child’s situation;
4. the parent’s competence to provide the necessities of life;
5. love, affection, and existing ties with either parent;
6. any history of domestic violence; and
7. the parent most likely to progress the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent.
There are two factors that appear to be most important:
1. the history of domestic violence and
2. the parent most likely to support the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent. The importance of considering domestic violence is clear. If a child is awarded to a violent parent, the safety of that child might be compromised. But most people are not attentive of and do not comprehend why factor #2 is so important: the parent most likely to promote the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent. And because there is so little sentienceAntonym of this factor, it presents both a great opportunity and great risk for parents seeking custody of their child. The “best interests of the child” standard was developed by lawyers, judges, child psychologists, and social workers. It represents a balancing of interests and is designed to benefit the child. The states that have adopted this standard believe a child should have a continuing bond with both parents, even after a divorce. And that mutual bond is best promoted by a parent that promotes visitation with the non-custodial parent. The parent that appears to promote the child’s contact with the other parent will get a strong preference in a custody decision. The parent that refuses visitation with the other parent will hurt themselves in a custody decision. Cooperation with visitation can take a lot of forms. A suggested pattern of conduct includes: avoiding discussions of adult divorce issues with the children, making reasonable arrangements for weekly visitation, openness about sharing holidays with the children, and participating in joint decision making about major children’s issues.If you are contemplating divorce, you should educate yourself about how courts and judges make decisions. By educating yourself, you can make sure a judge will look favorably at your behavior. A divorce doesn’t have to be a guessing game. The educated spouse will always get a more favorable outcome.

Often when a marriage is terminated, the earliest response of the parent moving out of the family home is to move as far away from their estranged partner as possible. Apart from the affects this can have on your child’s emotional well-being, it can also affect the processes of filing a suit by raising problems of court jurisdiction.

In Texas, your choice of where you carry on is not only a private issue between you and your children. It is also very much a legal matter. When initiating a child custody suit, you first need to give notice to the other parent. Before submitting a child custody lawsuit in Texas you need to establish whether the suit has been filed in the appropriate state and court. Texas has very specific laws to determine whether a custody action has been filed in the correct court.

It is worth noting, however, that all states in the US are governed by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA). This is an act that determines which state can make custody outcomes. It sets out the rules that conclude which state can hear a custody dispute and avoids confusion, where two states could make custody rulings involving the same child! Under this law, states must try to co-operate with one another and must affirm and enforce the custody orders of other states.

In the state of Texas, clashes arise when one parent does not reside in Texas, or the child and other parent have moved out of Texas. Whether they have moved to another state or another country it is handled in the same way.

For the most part, the issue of which state has jurisdiction is worked through by where the child (on the date of the commencement of the proceeding) has residence, regardless of whether the family members may have subsequently moved. This includes situations where the child no longer life in the state but the parents do.

Things are not always this clear-cut however. In some suits, the court of the state where the child resides may decline to exercise their right of jurisdiction if it is decided that another state is a more appropriate setting.

Again, this reflects the best interest of the little ones, because often a child and their parent has an important connection with a particular state, other than their mere physical presence, or were there is a sizable amount of relevant evidence available in a particular state – evidence regarding the child’s care, protection, training and personal relationships.

In other situations, the parent may have already been given the citation of the previous state and agreed to it prior to shifting interstate, allowing the original county to exercise it’s jurisdiction over them.

Technically, jurisdiction of a child custody dispute can be fixed in Texas even if a party has never lived in Texas! A party can be subject to a state’s jurisdiction if they had merely engaged in sexual intercourse in that state, and the child was conceived as a result of that single exploit!

Where one parent does live in another state, the court can require them to appear before the court in person. This can be with or without the children. Where the parent in this state has physical custody of the child, the court can command them to appear in person with the child.

The parent initiating the citation needs to be aware that if a non-resident-of-the-state parent is obliged to be present at a child custody hearing, the court may force the other parent to cover travel and accommodation expenses. The child however need not be with them.

Once it is decided upon that jurisdiction is suitable in Texas, when a party or the child is located out of state, then the proper county for the case is determined by the general venue conditions, as previously set out above, concerning where most of the information concerning the case exists.

Apart from this, where a court in Texas has already made a child custody decision, it has complete ongoing jurisdiction over that result unless or until it is worked out that the child or parent’s significant connection with that state no longer exists and that substantial evidence concerning the child’s care, protection and training now is present in another state.

For more information on Texas Family Law and Interstate Child Custody Cases:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com

In most states, a court’s decision about child custody during a separation used to be simple to make. The judge would give custody to the mom. The father got alternating weekend visitation. Now, custody decisions are drastically more complex. Many states have adopted a standard called “best interests of the child.” Judges are required to weigh a list of factors to ascertain which parent is the apt custodian of the children. The level of complexity in custody decisions has drastically risen and decisions are no longer clear-cut.Florida is one state that places an emphasis on the protection of children involved in a divorce. The greatest interests of the child are the guiding principles in Florida. Domestic relations law of the state outline a list of factors a judge must consider in every custody decision:
1. the child’s school and home history;
2. the permanence of the child’s proposed home;
3. the continuity of the child’s situation;
4. the parent’s faculty to provide the necessities of life;
5. love, affection, and existing ties with either parent;
6. any history of domestic violence; and
7. the parent most likely to progress the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent.
There are two factors that appear to be most important:
1. the history of domestic violence and
2. the parent most likely to advocate the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent. The importance of considering domestic violence is apparent. If a child is awarded to a violent parent, the safety of that child might be compromised. But most people are not mindful of and do not realize why factor #2 is so important: the parent most likely to advance the child’s continued contact and relationship with the other parent. And because there is so little ignoranceSynonyms of this factor, it presents both a great opportunity and great risk for parents seeking custody of their child. The “best interests of the child” standard was developed by lawyers, judges, child psychologists, and social workers. It represents a balancing of interests and is designed to benefit the child. The states that have adopted this standard believe a child should have a continuing bond with both parents, even after a divorce. And that mutual bond is best promoted by a parent that promotes visitation with the non-custodial parent. The parent that appears to promote the child’s contact with the other parent will get a strong preference in a custody decision. The parent that refuses visitation with the other parent will hurt themselves in a custody decision. Cooperation with visitation can take many forms. A suggested pattern of conduct includes: avoiding discussions of adult divorce issues with the children, making reasonable arrangements for weekly visitation, openness about sharing holidays with the children, and participating in joint decision making about key children’s issues.If you are considering divorce, you should educate yourself about how courts and judges make decisions. By educating yourself, you can make sure a judge will look favorably at your behavior. A divorce doesn’t have to be a guessing game. The educated spouse will always get a more favorable outcome.

A child custody proceeding is any case involving child protection, adoption, guardianship, termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of your child. The support order will be based on the child’s needs, obligor’s ability to pay, custody arrangements and the child support guidelines.

The Criminal Code makes it an offence to kidnap a child to spite a custody order. A custody order decides both the custody and parenting time arrangement for the children. Your child custody order is also confidential. 
When an single mother has a child, the mother has legal custody of that child until a court announces otherwise.

During divorce, marriage, or annulment proceedings, the issue of child custody often becomes a matter for the court to control.  The Court system must consider the following factors in every child custody decision under the law regarding the best interest of the child. The court reserves the power to amend the custody arrangements until the child turns 18 or is emancipated.

You may contest custody, child support, and alimony and property division by appearing in court and filing appropriate legal papers.  At the hearing, the court shall be presented with evidence to ascertain whether the child custody and support determination should be altered.  The fact that one parent has been the child’s primary guardian is often considered but is not enough to guarantee a custody award.

It is not that unusual for middle class parents to spend $60,000 on a divorce and child custody conflict. Traditionally, divorce in the USA results in one parent being awarded primary custody and decision making for a child.

Each parent shares the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, companionship, and support of their children.  Some states, like Arizona, have fathers rights groups specially dedicated to helping fathers obtain custody of their children (arizonafathersrights.com for example).  

Custody means that a mother or father has lawful custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child.   Joint child custody means that both parents have the legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward a child.  Joint custody grants both parents to have a say in the child’s upbringing.

There is no evidence to establish that a presumption of joint custody is in the preeminent interests of children.

A study found that only when parents were still actively fighting did joint custody exacerbate children’s feelings of being torn between parents. However, when both parents favor joint custody, it can be a good solution for the children. Some parents have chosen a joint-custody arrangement in which the child spends an approximately equal amount of time with both parents. Some states award joint custody in which the judge simply divides the child’s time between the parents.

Joint custody does not mean simply alternating where the child resides from time to time.  In fact, there may be legal joint custody, but the child may live with only one parent. Legal child custody includes the right to make decisions about the child’s education, religion, health care, and other important concerns. A child may be placed in foster care while a custody case is pending.  Legal custody means the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, and religious training.

Physical custody and residence means the routine daily care and control and where the child lives.  Physical child custody is awarded to one parent with whom the child will live most of the time.  In most cases, both parents continue to share lawful child custody but one parent gains physical child custody.  There is also a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to be in the custody of a parent over a non-parent.

Visitation rights allow the non-custodial parent (the person without child custody) time to spend with their child.  A common arrangement is that one parent gets custody of the child and the other parent is given visitation rights.

A child custody evaluation is a report written by a neutral professional about you, the other parent, and your children.  It is usually not necessary that formal psychological tests be administered to each parent in the context of a child-custody evaluation.  The primary purpose and focus of the custody and/or visitation evaluation is to determine what is in the best interests of the child.

Comprehensive child custody evaluations generally require an evaluation of all parents/guardians and children, as well as observations of interactions between them.  The children are also evaluated in a custody/visitation evaluation.

Because of the complexity of child custody matters and the importance of the outcome, it may be advisable to contact an attorney. The attorney should know several child custody evaluators or guardian ad items that they have worked with successfully. If you proceed with a child custody action without an attorney, you are acting as your own attorney.

In a child custody fight, there are rarely winners, frequently everyone is a loser, and the biggest losers are often the children.

For more info on Child Custody Law, visit us at http://www.custodyrights.org/child-custody-laws.php

Unfortunately the pain caused by a divorce or relationship breakdown is never restricted to just two adults.

We all take into account nowadays that while a couple may be distressed enormously, their kids are probably suffering most of all, and the more the parents ache, the greater is the pressure on their progeny.

Often passed over in this cycle of harm though are the grandparents. They too have their long-term relationship with their grandchildren threatened by the the failure of a marriage, and in their case it can be both a practical adversity and a legal impediment to maintain the relationship!

The end of the relationship between mom and dad should not need to mean the conclusion of the grandparent’s bond with their grandchildren. In fact, with the occasional exception of cases where the grandparent relationship is being used by one of the parents for their own gain, it is always going to be in the best interest of the offspring for them to be able to continue their other significant connections, like that unique relationship with the grandparents.

In most courts, it is not normally a legal arrangement for a biological or adoptive grandparent to file for custody of their grandchild, as family law upholds that the best interest of the child are normally served by maximizing contact with their parents, providing that they have shown themselves keen to serve the child’s best interests.

There are indeed exceptions to this rule, and in cases where there is testimony to suggest that the children is at risk of abuse, the grandparents can take initiative and file a suit, suing for custody! This is not the norm of course, even in dreadful situations, as regularly it is the court itself that takes the initiative in bringing in the grandparents.

Indeed, if dad and mum fail to show themselves trustworthy enough to manage custody of the little ones, the grandparents are generally the earliest persons approached by the court for custody. Otherwise, the court has to take into consideration other more distant relatives as potential custodians, especially where the parents of a child are deceased or in jail.

These are of course the extreme options – where grandparents are either taking custody of their grandchildren or are excluded of their lives altogether! In the vast majority of cases, the grandparents just have to go through similar struggles to those of the non-custodial parent – battling to organise access times that fit in with the new situation, while also giving preference to their grandchildren’s struggling parents!

The court can of course order that a grandparent receive reasonable possession or access to a grandchild, but they will generally leave these arrangements to be worked out privately with the parents.
In the long run a grandparent is in a singular position to assist the grandchild through a challenging time and mum and dad need to be sensitive to the fact this.

Indeed, grandpa and grandma should work hard during a time of family dissolution to make themselves accessible to their children and children’s kids, while of course remaining careful to avoid taking sides and letting their aggravation fall on to any of the children!

With a bit of luck the time the kids spend with grandma and grandpa will be time to rest and recover from the problems of their lives.

For more information on Custody cases and the place of grandparents

http://[www.texaschild-custody.com]

A child custody proceeding is any case involving child protection, adoption, guardianship, termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of your child. The support order will be based on the child’s needs, obligor’s faculty to pay, custody arrangements and the child support guidelines.

The Criminal Code makes it an offence to kidnap a child to spite a custody order. A custody order decides both the custody and parenting time arrangement for the children. Your child custody order is also confidential. 
When an unmarried mother has a child, the mother has legal custody of that child until a court determines otherwise.

During divorce, marriage, or annulment proceedings, the issue of child custody often becomes a matter for the court to define.  The legal system must contemplate the following factors in every child custody decision under the law regarding the best interest of the child. The court reserves the power to change the custody arrangements until the child turns 18 or is emancipated.

You may contest custody, child support, and alimony and property division by appearing in court and filing appropriate legal papers.  At the hearing, the court shall be presented with evidence to uncover whether the child custody and support determination should be altered.  The fact that one parent has been the child’s primary caretaker is often considered but is not ample to guarantee a custody award.

It is not that unusual for middle income parents to spend $60,000 on a divorce and child custody fight. Traditionally, divorce in North America results in one parent being awarded primary custody and decision making for a child.

Each parent shares the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, companionship, and support of their kids.  Some states, for example Arizona, have fathers rights groups singularly dedicated to helping fathers obtain custody of their children (arizonafathersrights.com for example).  

Custody means that a mom or dad has court custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child.   Joint child custody means that both parents have the legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward a child.  Joint custody grants both parents to have a say in the child’s upbringing.

There is no evidence to support that a presumption of joint custody is in the best interests of children.

A study found that only when parents were still actively fighting did joint custody exacerbate children’s feelings of being torn between parents. However, when both parents favor joint custody, it can be a good solution for the children. Some parents have chosen a joint-custody arrangement in which the child spends an approximately equal amount of time with both parents. Some states award joint custody in which the judge simply divides the child’s time between the parents.

Joint custody does not mean simply alternating where the child lives from time to time.  In fact, there may be lawful joint custody, but the child may live with only one parent. Legal child custody includes the right to make decisions about the child’s education, religion, health care, and other important concerns. A child may be placed in foster care while a custody case is pending.  Legal custody means the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, and religious training.

Physical custody and residence means the routine daily care and control and where the child lives.  Physical child custody is awarded to one parent with whom the child will live most of the time.  In most cases, both parents continue to share legal child custody but one parent gains physical child custody.  There is also a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to be in the custody of a parent over a non-parent.

Visitation rights allow the non-custodial parent (the person without child custody) time to spend with their child.  A common arrangement is that one parent gets custody of the child and the other parent is given visitation rights.

A child custody evaluation is a report written by a neutral professional about you, the other parent, and your children.  It is usually not necessary that formal psychological tests be administered to each parent in the context of a child-custody evaluation.  The primary purpose and focus of the custody and/or visitation evaluation is to determine what is in the best interests of the child.

Comprehensive child custody evaluations generally require an evaluation of all parents/guardians and children, as well as observations of interactions between them.  The children are also evaluated in a custody/visitation evaluation.

Because of the complexity of child custody matters and the importance of the outcome, it may be advisable to contact an attorney. The attorney should know several child custody evaluators or guardian ad items that they have worked with successfully. If you proceed with a child custody action without an attorney, you are acting as your own attorney.

In a child custody battle, there are rarely winners, frequently everyone is a loser, and the biggest losers are often the children.

For more facts on Child Custody Law, visit us at http://www.custodyrights.org

When mom and dad decide that they can no longer move to together, this does not of course mean that either of them loves their children any less. In fact, relationship breakdown tends to deepen the love parents have for their child, and it brings out the protective instincts in both mum and dad.

For this reason though, the children can also become convenient weapons, used by one partner to harm the other. The tragedy, of course, is that this tends to hurt the children even more than the parents!

If your foremost concern is really for the happiness of your children, you must protect yourself from day one of your marriage breakdown, to avoid criticizing or making condemnatory statements about your former partner in front of your little one.

Niggling away at your ex through little payback statements that are difficult to challenge becomes painfully apparent to your child after a while, and such criticisms only serve to prolong the battle with your estranged spouse.

Be the adult in the circumstances, so that your daughter or son, and only your daughter or son, gets to be the daughter or son.

Countless times, angered parents submit to the temptation to have a go at their estranged partner by returning kids a little later than organized, thus making a point of rights, or they intentionally change arrangements at the last moment, just to stay on top in the pay-back stakes.

Once you have formally ended the relationship, you need to let go of the desire to penalize your former spouse for the pain you have endured together. If something seems excessive, discuss this with your former spouse and don’t let it build up, and be sure to take out the, “this is so typical of you” tone, especially when you’re within the hearing of the children.

When your child goes back to the other parent, they should not have to put up with the burden of hearing about how the other resents their behavior, potentially damaging what should have been a rewarding time with the other parent.

Keep in mind that while you might not like having to be involved with your estranged partner for the rest of your child’s life, you are obliged to fulfill the responsibilities that have been born of that season together. Your children should not have to bear the cost for that.

Do not forget that a spiritual level, you are both a fundamental part of your child’s character. You strip down that identity when you put down your ex, as you not only create conflicting loyalties within your son or daughter, but also unconsciously destroy the view they have of themselves, which in younger years is inextricably linked to their understanding of their parents.

It will every time be in the best interests of your children to have the unconditional love of both father and mother, and the working through of a difficult custody deal must be directed by the thoughtful actions of the adults involved.

Relieving your daughter or son of the stress of dislocation, and helping them to maintain their connection with both parents is generally the best you can do for a child. Managing your anger and moving beyond your personal exasperation with your estranged spouse can be one of the best things you can do for your little one.

For at the end of the day, you do want your son or daughter to learn that sometimes marriages do break down and that things do get demanding, but that, in the end, they can turn out right! This is what resilience is all about and buiding this in your child has always got to be in their best interests.

For more information on Protecting your child from the child custody fallout:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com/texas-child-custody-law—an-introduction.php?maxi

Unfortunately the destruction wrought by the dissolution of a marriage is never restricted to just two adults.

We all comprehend nowadays that while husband and wife may be distressed enormously, their kids are probably struggling most of all, and the more the parents hurt, the greater is the pressure on their kids.

Often passed over in this cycle of destruction though are the grandparents. They too have their relationship with their grandchildren threatened by the the breakdown of a marriage, and in their case it can be both a practical difficulty and a legal problem to maintain the connection!

The end of the bond between two parents should not need to mean the finish of the grandparent’s bond with their grandchildren. In fact, with the singular exception of cases where the grandparent relationship is being exploited by one of the parents for their own advantage, it is always going to be in the best interest of the children for them to be able to continue their other significant the best relationships, like that unique relationship with grandma and grandpa.

In most courts, it is not normally a legal choice for a biological or adoptive grandparent to file for custody of their grandchild, as family law upholds that the best interest of the little ones are normally served by maximizing contact with their parents, providing that they have shown themselves keen to serve the child’s best interests.

There are naturally exceptions to this rule, and in cases where there is an indicator to suggest that the children is at risk of some form of abuse, the grandparents can take initiative and file a suit, suing for custody! This is not the normal course of action of course, even in horrible situations, as regularly it is the court itself that takes the initiative in bringing in the grandparents.

Indeed, if dad and mum fail to show themselves dependable enough to manage custody of the children, the grandparents are generally the primary persons approached by the court for custody. Otherwise, the judge has to take into account other more distant relatives as potential legal custodians, especially where the parents of a child are deceased or in jail.

These are of course the extreme options – where grandparents are either taking custody of their grandchildren or are debarred of their lives altogether! In the majority of cases, the grandparents just have to go through similar work to those of the non-custodial parent – battling to organise access times that fit in with the new situation, while simultaneously giving first place to their grandchildren’s estranged parents!

The court can of course order that a grandparent obtain reasonable possession or access to a grandchild, but they will normally leave these arrangements to be worked out privately with the parents.
At the end of the day a grandparent is in an exclusive position to assist the grandchild through a difficult time and mum and dad need to recognise this.

Indeed, the grandparents should work hard during a time of family break up to make themselves obtainable to their children and children’s kids, while of course remaining careful to avoid taking sides and letting their aggravation overflow on to any of the little ones!

Hopefully the time the children spend with grandpa and grandma will be time to rest and recover from the complications of their lives.

For more information on Custody Rulings and the rights of grandparents

http://[www.texaschild-custody.com]

Your first thought after a relationship breakdown might be to move as far away from your former spouse as possible – moving out of Texas and moving interstate – but this can cause all sort of complications if there is a son or daughter involved: emotional, social, and also legal problems!

Do not forget that the Texas Family Court considers the interest of the youngster to be the crucial determining factor when determining custody, and a parent who removes themselves from the scene after a divorce or relationship breakdown is rarely identified as acting in the best interests of the kids.

Retaining some degree of permanence for your little ones through the turmoil of family breakdown is very important, and you need to know that your child’s whole perception of ‘home’ is one that was developed from within that environment you established when you and your former partner were still together.

Therefore you should avoid displacing your children from the family dwelling place if at all possible, particularly in the early months after separation.

Remaining at your residence may be painful, most especially if you have friends or neighbors whose very presence reminds you of the pain of your relationship failure, and you may yearn for the support of your family, who may live a long way away. Yet this is the home of your child home. And the ‘home’ is more than four walls and a bed. It also consists of friends, sporting clubs, and your child’s familiar recreational hangouts, all of which your child may want now more than ever!

If you are the parent you has been forced to move away from the family home, this makes the question of your address no less important, and you should think very carefully about how to maintain a consistent environment for your children when you choose where to live.

From a practical point of view, living closer to your spouse also means that a shared care option is more feasible.

By moving close to your child’s friends, this also allows play-dates to go on in the familiar way, babysitting proceedure can be more easily managed, as can the logistics of collecting forgotten clothes and toys from your child’s other home.

If you give thought to the long-term, you’ll realise that living in the area means that you can better help the other parent with school pick-up’s where one of you is held up, and in a variety of other practical matters. This all means more “normal” time spent with your child that improves the position of both parents and the children.

And remember that these issues are not simply personal family matters. They are also legal question, and can play a essential role in defining custody cases. The family court in Texas awards custody by decisive what is in the best interests of the little ones, and it is seldom going to be in the best interest of the children if one of the parents moves away interstate, most especially if they are planning on taking their child with them.

For more information on Moving interstate and Child Custody:

http://www.custodyrights.org

A child custody proceeding is any case involving child protection, adoption, guardianship, termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of your child. The support order will be based on the child’s needs, obligor’s competence to pay, custody arrangements and the child support guidelines.

The Criminal Code makes it an offence to kidnap a child to spite a custody order. A custody order decides both the custody and parenting time arrangement for the children. Your child custody order is also confidential. 
When an unmarried mother has a child, the mother has legal custody of that child until a court announces otherwise.

During divorce, marriage, or annulment proceedings, the issue of child custody often becomes a matter for the court to ascertain.  The Court system must look to the following factors in every child custody decision under the law regarding the best interest of the child. The court reserves the power to make alterations to the custody arrangements until the child turns 18 or is emancipated.

You may contest custody, child support, and alimony and property division by appearing in court and filing appropriate legal papers.  At the hearing, the court shall hear evidence to settle whether the child custody and support determination should be modified.  The fact that one parent has been the child’s primary guardian is often considered but is not enough to guarantee a custody award.

It is not that unusual for middle income parents to spend $60,000 on a divorce and child custody fight. Traditionally, divorce in the USA results in one parent being awarded primary custody and decision making for a child.

Each parent shares the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, companionship, and support of their children.  Some states, such as Arizona, have fathers rights groups solely dedicated to helping fathers obtain custody of their children (arizonafathersrights.com for example).  

Custody means that a father or mother has lawful custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child.   Joint child custody means that both parents have the legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward a child.  Joint custody allows both parents to have a say in the child’s upbringing.

There is no evidence to establish that a presumption of joint custody is in the greatest interests of children.

A study found that only when parents were still actively fighting did joint custody exacerbate children’s feelings of being torn between parents. However, when both parents favor joint custody, it can be a good solution for the children. Some parents have chosen a joint-custody arrangement in which the child spends an approximately equal amount of time with both parents. Some states award joint custody in which the judge simply divides the child’s time between the parents.

Joint custody does not mean simply alternating where the child resides from time to time.  In fact, there may be legal joint custody, but the child may live with only one parent. Legal child custody includes the right to make decisions about the child’s education, religion, health care, and other important concerns. A child may be placed in foster care while a custody case is pending.  Legal custody means the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, and religious training.

Physical custody and residence means the routine daily care and control and where the child lives.  Physical child custody is awarded to one parent with whom the child will live most of the time.  In most cases, both parents continue to share lawful child custody but one parent gains physical child custody.  There is also a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to be in the custody of a parent over a non-parent.

Visitation rights allow the non-custodial parent (the person without child custody) time to spend with their child.  A common arrangement is that one parent gets custody of the child and the other parent is given visitation rights.

A child custody evaluation is a report written by a neutral professional about you, the other parent, and your children.  It is usually not necessary that formal psychological tests be administered to each parent in the context of a child-custody evaluation.  The primary purpose and focus of the custody and/or visitation evaluation is to determine what is in the best interests of the child.

Comprehensive child custody evaluations generally require an evaluation of all parents/guardians and children, as well as observations of interactions between them.  The children are also evaluated in a custody/visitation evaluation.

Because of the complexity of child custody matters and the importance of the outcome, it may be advisable to contact an attorney. The attorney should know several child custody evaluators or guardian ad items that they have worked with successfully. If you proceed with a child custody action without an attorney, you are acting as your own attorney.

In a child custody battle, there are rarely winners, frequently everyone is a loser, and the biggest losers are often the children.

For more advice on Child Custody Law, visit us at http://www.custodyrights.org/child-custody-laws.php

Your initial thought after a long-term relationship breakdown might be to move as far away from your ex as possible – moving away from Texas and moving interstate – but this can cause all sort of problems if there is a son or daughter involved: emotional, social, and also legal problems!

Do not forget that the Texas Family Court considers the interest of the children to be the significant determining factor when determining custody, and a parent who removes themselves from the scene after a relationship breakdown is rarely regarded as acting in the best interests of the little ones.

Preserving some degree of permanence for your children through the upheaval of family breakdown is important, and you need to recognise that your child’s whole notion of ‘home’ is one that was developed from within that environment you set up when you and your former partner were still together.

consequently you should avoid relocating your children from the family home if at all possible, most especially in the early months after separation.

Continuing at your residence may be undesirable, particularly if you have friends or neighbors whose very presence reminds you of the pain of your relationship failure, and you may require the support of your family, who may live a long way away. Yet this is the home of your child home. And the ‘home’ is more than four walls and a bed. It includes friends, sporting clubs, and your child’s familiar recreational hangouts, all of which your child may need now more than ever!

If you are the parent you has been forced to leave the family home, this makes the concern of your address no less important, and you should consider very carefully about how to maintain a harmonious environment for your child when you choose where to live.

From a practical point of view, living closer to your spouse also means that a joint custody option is more workable.

By staying close to your child’s familiar companions, this also allows play-dates to resume in the familiar way, babysitting arrangements can be more easily overseen, as can the logistics of collecting forgotten clothes and toys from your child’s other home.

If you look to the long-term, you’ll realise that living near by means that you can better support the other parent with school pick-up’s where one of you is delayed, and in a variety of other practical matters. This all means more “regular” time spent with your little ones that improves the standing of both parents and the children.

And keep in mind that these issues are not simply personal family matters. They are also legal problems, and can play a crucial role in determining custody cases. The family court in Texas awards custody by resolving what is in the best interests of the child, and it is hardly ever going to be in the best interest of the little ones if one of the parents moves away interstate, particularly if they are planning on taking their children with them.

For more information on Moving interstate and Child Custody:

http://www.custodyrights.org

When preparing for a custody suit in Texas, both parents need to be thinking primarily about what is in the best interests of the child, for this is what the family law court will be focusing on.

Parents do have entitlements under Texas law, but it is the needs and rights of the children that are of supreme importance in custody battles, and these will be the crucial factors upon which the court will attempt to base the decision.

As can be seen in section 153.002 of the Texas Family Code, usually, parents are considered to be equal in their right to parent their children, so the rights of parents is not likely to be significant. It is the best interests of the child that are important, and the aim of the Texas law code (as seen in Section 153.00) is to:

(1) Guarantee that children will have repeated and continuing contact with parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the little ones;

(2) Supply a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for the child; and

(3) Encourage parents to share in the rights and responsibilities of raising their child after the parents have moved apart or dissolved their marriage.

If you are a mother or father who is getting ready for (or even thinking about) a custody action, you would do well to keep this in mind at all times. You will not be able to arrange a solid case for custody of your children unless you can show the court how you having custody will be in their best interests.

Giving primary consideration to your little ones will also play a resolving role in many other key areas of your life, at least until custody has been determined.

These areas include:

(1) Where you choose to live. While it might be tempting to move as far away from your former partner as possible, this is hardly ever going to be in the best interests of the children.

(2) How you deal with your own anxiety. While you might feel that you feel a need for the presence of your little ones to help you get through the damage of the divorce, don’t forget that your children are simply not able to deal with the range of emotions experienced by their parents, and that dumping your personal difficulties on them is not simply unhelpful, but can be a form of abuse!

(3) Considering how you refer your former partner. Similarly, mom and dad organizing yourself for custody disputes before the court of Texas must be mindful of the extraordinary hurt that they can do through speaking badly of their Ex in front of the children.

Such behaviour not only does loss to child and parents alike, but it may also be considered by the judge, where a noticeable failure in self-control may be taken as an indicator of an inability to fulfill the proper role of mother or father!

For more informat on Houston Child Custody Laws:

http://www.custodyrights.org

Custody battles destroy people.

Those who have been through a undesirable custody dispute understand why these struggles are associated with prohibitively high rates of both suicide and murder.

Family court judges frequently live in fear of their resides, as fed up parents often blame them for tearing their family and friends apart. More often though, a bad custody battle leads to self-harm, particularly in the case of men, who tend to be the ones who often feel unfairly victimized by the family family law court judge system.

The best fix for this personal struggles, of course, is to shun going to court entirely. Try hard to reach a satisfactory arrangement with your ex, without bringing in court intermediaries.

Either way though, while your major priority needs to be discovering a custody arrangement that is in the best interests of your children, your number two priority must be to cope with the stress of the custody arrangements without passing that stress levels on to your little ones.

Avoid allowing your child to take part in any of your emotional struggles that are connected with your separation. This is especially damaging where a child is allowed to feel responsible for the family breakdown, or when one parent often plays the role of the “victim”, leaving the son or daughter feeling that they need to do something to remedy the situation!

Be mindful that your children loves you both, and it is not their fault that your connection did not last. They did not cause your marriage breakdown and they cannot cure it.

You must assume the responsibility for this yourself, and if you need support (as we all do) you need to get it from other adults – siblings, parents or friends – and not from your child.

The simple rule is this: do not talk to your little ones about your child custody case. If they ask you how it is developing, assure them that both dad and mom are both trying hard to agree on an arrangement that is foremost for them (the child) and leave it at that.
If your child won’t let up on the questioning, it can be very difficult to avoid going into details, but you must do your best to avoid sharing bitterness and frustration with your children, as you do not want your heartache to become their pain.

A qualified family counsellor can be an indispensable asset in these situations, for both parents and son or daughter. In some circumstances, it may even be possible (and very useful) for a skilled counsellor to mediate discussion between a child and both estranged parents. Do not try to do this though without assistance. The dynamics of such an encounter can be very tough to control, and the potential negative consequences are far too serious if things go awry.

Child custody cases are difficult for everybody – children, parents and society at large – and there is only ever one solid ground for entering into a custody battle in the first place: you are worried about best interests of your son or daughter. If then you really are working towards the best interests of your children, be assured that it will never be in their best interests to enmesh them in the anguish of the custody battle.

For more information on Enduring your Custody Case:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com

A child custody proceeding is any case involving child protection, adoption, guardianship, termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of your child. The support order will be based on the child’s needs, obligor’s ability to pay, custody arrangements and the child support guidelines.

The Criminal Code makes it an offence to abduct a child to spite a custody order. A custody order sets both the custody and parenting time arrangement for the children. Your child custody order is also confidential. 
When an unwed mother has a child, the mother has legal custody of that child until a court announces otherwise.

During divorce, marriage, or annulment proceedings, the issue of child custody often becomes a matter for the court to clarify.  The Court must contemplate the following factors in every child custody decision under the law regarding the best interest of the child. The court holds the power to make changes to the custody arrangements until the child turns 18 or is emancipated.

You may contest custody, child support, and alimony and property division by appearing in court and filing appropriate legal papers.  At the hearing, the court shall hear evidence to ascertain whether the child custody and support determination should be changed.  The fact that one parent has been the child’s primary caretaker is often considered but is not sufficient to guarantee a custody award.

It is not that unusual for average income parents to spend $60,000 on a divorce and child custody battle. Traditionally, divorce in North America results in one parent being awarded primary custody and decision making for a child.

Each parent shares the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, companionship, and support of their kids.  Some states, for example Arizona, have fathers rights groups solely dedicated to helping fathers obtain custody of their children (arizonafathersrights.com for example).  

Custody means that a parent has court custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child.   Joint child custody means that both parents have the lawful custodial rights and responsibilities toward a child.  Joint custody grants both parents to have a say in the child’s upbringing.

There is no evidence to assistance that a presumption of joint custody is in the greatest interests of children.

A study found that only when parents were still actively fighting did joint custody exacerbate children’s feelings of being torn between parents. However, when both parents favor joint custody, it can be a good solution for the children. Some parents have chosen a joint-custody arrangement in which the child spends an approximately equal amount of time with both parents. Some states award joint custody in which the judge simply divides the child’s time between the parents.

Joint custody does not mean simply alternating where the child abodes from time to time.  In fact, there may be legal joint custody, but the child may live with only one parent. Legal child custody includes the right to make decisions about the child’s education, religion, health care, and other important concerns. A child may be placed in foster care while a custody case is pending.  Legal custody means the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, and religious training.

Physical custody and residence means the routine daily care and control and where the child lives.  Physical child custody is awarded to one parent with whom the child will live most of the time.  In most cases, both parents continue to share legal child custody but one parent gains physical child custody.  There is also a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to be in the custody of a parent over a non-parent.

Visitation rights allow the non-custodial parent (the person without child custody) time to spend with their child.  A common arrangement is that one parent gets custody of the child and the other parent is given visitation rights.

A child custody evaluation is a report written by a neutral professional about you, the other parent, and your children.  It is usually not necessary that formal psychological tests be administered to each parent in the context of a child-custody evaluation.  The primary purpose and focus of the custody and/or visitation evaluation is to determine what is in the best interests of the child.

Comprehensive child custody evaluations generally require an evaluation of all parents/guardians and children, as well as observations of interactions between them.  The children are also evaluated in a custody/visitation evaluation.

Because of the complexity of child custody matters and the importance of the outcome, it may be advisable to contact an attorney. The attorney should know several child custody evaluators or guardian ad items that they have worked with successfully. If you proceed with a child custody action without an attorney, you are acting as your own attorney.

In a child custody dispute, there are rarely winners, frequently everyone is a loser, and the biggest losers are often the children.

For more facts on Child Custody Law, visit us at http://www.custodyrights.org/child-custody-laws.php

The family law court always favors custody results that are in the “best interests of the child” and as such can dictate the rights and responsibilities of parents where shared custody (technically referred to as ‘joint conservatorship’) has been granted.

Shared Custody is a complex balance to achieve, but if you want to avoid interference from the courts and make your custody arrangement work for the best interests of your youngster, plenty of planning will be necessary to determine how to make the changeover between the two homes as smooth as is feasible.

An example of a good practice in a joint conservatorship is to set up a standardized system of house rules in both places of residence. Often parents are tempted to immediately change rules that were a source of exasperation during the marriage or that remind them of their estranged partner. Such inbalances though can be disruptive for the child, and even push them to accommodate their behaviour between homes.

As a result, children can become very astute at pleasing or even manipulating states of affairs between the homes for their own advantage in situations where parents are still emotionally susceptible. This is not because children are basically wicked but is simply a survival strategy. A child wants consistency of rules and schedules between homes, for both peace-of-mind and for their healthy emotional and physical development.

Developing this consistency may require recurring phone calls and meetings between parents to agree on the needs of the child and the working out of a plan together, so that there are clear expectations and little room for emotional manipulation. Make sure, as far as is possible, that both homes are in agreement on rules regarding bedtimes, tv viewing, internet use and going out with friends.

As your child grows, these rules will, of course, need to be revisited together and changes implemented co-operatively. In truth, parents who enlist a joint custody arrangement because they are genuinely looking to the best interests of the child need to put in the time necessary to make it work. They also need to be ready to change the agreement should the needs of the child change.

When a child makes a decision that he or she would now like to spend added time in the home of one particular parent, there is often an impossible guilt that they feel over choosing one parent above the other. Parents need to be proactive in freeing their child from this guilt by making it explicit that the arrangements have been set up to serve their best interests and not your own, and that you are therefore always open to modify them.

Research still suggests that most children are more settled in one household. Parents often see joint custody as an arrangement that satisfies their ‘rights’, but the risk is that the child’s needs will be forgotten in the process. Shared Custody can work, and it can work wonderfully, but, as in any custody arrangment, a willingness to be adaptable and to put the child first are the fundamental keys to success.

For more information on Shared custody – working together:

http://www.texaschild-custody.com/texas-family-law-and-shared-custody.php