Child Custody and Visitation
Keeping the Focus on Your Children
A fairly recent change in Texas law places the focus in child custody agreements where it belongs: on the actual time each parents spends with his or her children rather than on “paper” labels such as which parent has “primary custody”. Kimberly D. Levi, a family law attorney in Houston, Texas, anticipates that this change in the law will keep the focus on the children, not on the “paper” labels, the attainment of which label serves mainly to increase legal fees.
Child custody is often called conservatorship in Texas. Courts favor joint conservatorship of children in Texas. Joint conservatorship, however, is not appropriate in all cases. Some instances where the advisability of joint conservatorship can be called into question involve family violence, problematic mental illness, and/or drug or alcohol abuse.
The past law in Texas required a Texas order involving the custody of children to name one parent as the conservator who would have the exclusive right to “establish the primary residence of the child”. To many, the parent who was named the “primary conservator” had “won” the custody battle. Such a label is no longer a requirement in Texas. Instead, parents can focus on the amount of time they spend with their children, rather than the labels associated therewith. To discuss your parental rights with an experienced Houston child custody lawyer, please contact Kimberly D. Levi today to set up a consultation.
The doors in Texas are ever-widening when it comes to finding creative parenting plans that fit the needs of each individual family. Helping families consider and create workable and sustainable parenting plans is one of the main reasons Kimberly D. Levi practices family law. Children win most often when their parents can find solutions that are mutually acceptable and beneficial.
If, however, such a mutually acceptable solution cannot be reached or your case involves more challenging issues that require court intervention, Ms. Levi will use her ample 25 years of courtroom experience to ensure that your and your children’s needs are met. Obviously, the physical and mental health of your child is paramount in any case analysis. If necessary, psychologists or other mental health professionals can be used to assist in presenting the case for your children to the court. If you retain the services of family law attorney Kimberly D. Levi, you will be armed at every turn with the accurate information you need to make the decisions necessary to protect your children. Ms. Levi can assist you with all your child custody and visitation issues today.