Child Custody & Visitation
Understanding the difference between custody and visitation is very important. Under Texas law, Custody is determined by the type of conservatorship you are awarded and the rights and duties that you are awarded. Visitation is the schedule that is awarded. The type of conservatorship a parent has does not always determine the visitation schedule the parent will have. Contact
Types of Conservatorships
Joint Managing Conservator – A joint conservatorship (JMC) means the parents share decision-making about most issues, including education and healthcare.
Sole Managing Conservator – A sole managing conservator (SMC) has the legal right to make most decisions about a child, including:education, medical care, mental health care, legal action, passport, estate, primary residence, and child support.
Possessory Conservator – has the right to access and spend time with a child, but they don’t have the final say in major decisions about the child’s life.
Rights and duties
Types of visitation schedules
Expanded Possession Schedule – If the non-primary parent resides under 50miles from the child/children’s primary residence the parent may choose to have possession of the child/children during the school year on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday of each month beginning at the time the child’s school is dismissed and ending at the time school begins on Monday.
Standard Possession schedule – if the non-primary parent resides over 100 miles from the primary parent or chooses not to elect the above schedule the parent 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday of each month beginning at Friday at 6:00p.m. and ending on Sunday at 6:00p.m.
2/2/3 – In this schedule the parents have equal possession of the children. One parent has the child on Monday and Tuesday and the other parent has the child on Tuesday and Thursday. The parent that had the child on Monday and Tuesday then has the child that same week on Fr
2/2/5 – One parent has the children every week on Monday and Tuesday and the other parent has the children every week on Wednesday and Thursday, The parents alternate every weekend.
Week on Week off – Each parent has the child for 7 days either alternating on Sunday or Friday.