Parents who share joint custody can move if the other parent agrees. However, even if the parties agree to the move, the court must address child support, travel schedules, and visitation. The court will also examine whether the new arrangement is in the child's best interests.
Joint Custody Comes With Geographic Restrictions
Therefore, neither parent has a right to move so far away that it disrupts the other parent's access to “frequent and continuing contact” with the child. In fact, most Texas custody orders impose geographic restrictions upon the parent with primary custody.
Under Texas child custody laws, moving out of state entirely or even just a few counties away requires court orders to be obtained by the custodial parent.
Examples of parental kidnapping include taking the child out of state without the other parent's consent or refusing to return the child after a visit. Parental kidnapping is a felony offense in Texas and can result in up to two years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
Under Texas child custody laws, when moving out of state, the parent who is primary must usually get the other parent's consent if they want to take the child with them. If they do not obtain consent, they must petition the court to request permission to move out of state.
So who gets to keep them while the divorce is pending? That depends on the situation. When the parents separate, many factors are considered by a court such as who did the kids continue to live with? Either spouse can request a Temporary Orders Hearing and ask the court to decide on who the children will live with.
Grounds for Termination
a parent abandoning a child who is in the care of CPS, a parent endangering the child. a parent failing to comply with court orders that specifically established the actions necessary for the parent to obtain the return of their child who has been in the legal custody of CPS.
When there is no court order, there are no rules for visitation, and both parents have equal rights to the child. The law expects that the parents will work together to parent the child by agreement according to the child's best interests.
Types of Custody Arrangements in Texas
Joint custody, known as joint managing conservatorship, is when both parents share the legal right to make decisions about the child's welfare. This type of shared custody arrangement can be categorized as either joint physical custody or joint legal custody.
While it is the preference of Texas courts to grant joint custody, according to Texas Family Code, Title 5, §153.002, ultimately “the best interest of the child shall always be the primary consideration of the court in determining the issues of conservatorship and possession of and access to the child.”
Although children cannot officially decide which parent they want to live with until they are 18 years old, Texas law does allow children that are 12 or older to have a say in where they'd like to live, but ultimately a judge will make the final decision.
While some states have adopted this approach, Texas does not rigidly adhere to a 50/50 model. Instead, the focus is on creating custody arrangements that serve the child's best interests. While joint custody is common, it may not necessarily entail a precisely equal division of time.
57% of relocation family law applications were approved with 43% rejected; There is no general rule of thumb as to whether a relocation family law order will be approved or not; A successful application to stop a relocation needs to be timely and treated urgently.
If possible, get written permission from the other parent. If that is not possible, and your child custody arrangement does not allow you the flexibility to leave the state with your child to travel, you can seek permission from the court to leave.
Each parent is entitled to know where the children are during visitations. They should also know if the children are left with other people such as babysitters or friends when the other parent is not there.
Parental alienation is a strategy whereby one parent intentionally displays to the child unjustified negativity aimed at the other parent. The purpose of this strategy is to damage the child's relationship with the other parent and to turn the child's emotions against that other parent.
If you even have an inkling that a child isn't yours, whether or not the child has been born yet, speak with an attorney. An attorney can help guide you through the steps you need to take to determine paternity and go through any potential court proceedings in the future.
Generally, Neither You Nor Your Ex Can Dictate Who Gets to Be Around Your Child. In most cases, neither parent has the right to determine who can be around their child. However, there are certain circumstances where the court must consider limiting contact with certain individuals.
The judge must determine at the fact-finding hearing if the respondent parent: Permanently neglected the child for at least 12 months by failing to maintain contact with the child and plan for the future of the child. Legally abandoned the child for at least 6 months. Severely or repeatedly abused the child.
In most cases, the fact that the payor has additional children does not in and itself affect their existing child support obligation. However, there may be other factors that may warrant a modification of child support (e.g., job loss or disability).
You know you want a divorce, and you are ready to leave your marriage. Yet you worry about your child. You want them to come with you, but if you leave your husband or wife, can you take your child? The short answer is no — you can't just take your child with you when you leave a marriage.
Ideally, your child can sign a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement to negotiate that their future inheritance is separate from marital property.
Generally, the Court cannot prevent a parent from relocating to live somewhere else, however the Court most definitely has the power to stop a parent from taking their child to live with them in the new locality, if that area will be some distance away from the other parent and so interfere with the amount of time the ...