• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Call for help!  (281) 762-0578

  • Facebook

Covington Law Firm, PLLC

Family Law and Divorce Attorney Fort Bend County

  • ABOUT
    • Our Core Values
    • Reviews
  • PRACTICE AREAS
    • Divorce
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Child Support and Custody
    • Property Division
    • Adoption
    • Divorce Mediation
    • LGBTQ+
    • Gender Marker Correction & Name Change
  • CONSULTATION
  • MOMMA BEAR
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • Search
  • ABOUT
    • Our Core Values
    • Reviews
  • PRACTICE AREAS
    • Divorce
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Child Support and Custody
    • Property Division
    • Adoption
    • Divorce Mediation
    • LGBTQ+
    • Gender Marker Correction & Name Change
  • CONSULTATION
  • MOMMA BEAR
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • Search

Mobile Menu

Schedule A Free Consultation Now!

Find out how our law firm can help you win your case or you don’t pay a cent.

(281) 762-0578

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Home » Blog » Texas Child Custody

Texas Child Custody

February 8, 2017 By //  by Vonda Covington 1 Comment

What’s Texas Child Custody Like

Texas child custody uses different terms for what most people think of joint child custody or sole child custody.  Family Law Attorney Vonda Covington explains the terms used in Texas for those concepts.

Summary of Texas Child Custody Video

Hi I’m Vonda Covington. I’m a family law attorney in Richmond, Texas. And I wanted to talk a little bit about what is Texas child custody?

Sole Managing Conservatorship versus Joint Managing Conservatorship

People come to me and say, well I want custody of my child. And in Texas what we have is something called conservatorship. There are two kinds of conservatorship. There’s sole managing conservatorship and there’s joint managing conservatorship. And it’s easy to understand joint if you understand sole managing conservatorship.

Sole managing conservatorship is the old fashioned kind of child custody where mom gets the kids, dad pays child support and has visitation with the kids. However, mom has all the decision making powers over the kids.

With joint managing conservatorship, the parents split up the powers and duties for making decisions about the kids’ lives. And that’s basically the difference.

Right to Designate the Child’s Primary Residence

One of the powers and duties that a parent gets in joint managing conservatorship is the right to designate the child’s primary residence.  If a court order determines which parent has that right, then it’s going to be an exclusive right to one parent or the other.

That is what the lay person calls custody, but what the divorce attorneys and family law attorneys oddly call the exclusive right to designate the child’s primary residence. Custody is a lot easier to say.

But that’s really not custody in the traditional sense of the word. Parents can decide together on parenting times that are pretty close to 50/50 split. Some courts will approve those kinds of parenting times and some courts won’t approve those kinds of parenting times, without a mediated settlement agreement.

If you hire a family law attorney who is familiar with the courts, familiar with which judges like what, and familiar with the law, then that attorney can help you through these confusing terms and confusing issues.

Summary of Texas Child Custody

So, that’s basically what child custody is in Texas. It’s joint managing conservatorship. One parent typically has the exclusive right to determine the child’s primary residence, and then the other rights and duties about decision making gets split up between the two parents.

That way both parents are very closely involved in the child’s life, and that’s really what a child needs. So that’s why Texas law has been structured that way.

Contact Covington Law Firm, PLLC

Vonda Covington is very familiar with the courts and the judges in Fort Bend County. Based on the facts of your situation, she can help you understand the likely outcome if a judge decides your child custody issues.  She can also help you evaluate other options you may have to reach an agreement with your spouse on child custody.  Call us at 281-762-0578.

You may be interested in Vonda’s video talking about explaining divorce to your children.

Filed Under: family law

Looking for immediate answers to your questions?

Schedule a consultation today!

You May Also Be Interested In:

protective order domestice violence

How Long Does a Protective Order Last in Texas?

sad african american kid holding hands with divorced parents

Do You Need a Child Custody Lawyer?

How to File For Divorce in Texas And Protect Your Assets

How to File For Divorce in Texas And Protect Your Assets

divorce highlighted on a page. how to file for divorce in texas

How to File for Divorce in Texas

a wedding cake cut in half. married couple divorced

What Are the Grounds for Divorce in Texas?

spousal support and alimony in texas

How Do I get Spousal Support in Texas?

a mom hugging her child

What Moms Need To Know About How Child Support Works

Crying woman with abusive partner behind her

Filing For a Protective Order in Texas

silhouette of couple fighting and child crying

Practical Advice if You’re Suffering From Domestic Violence

Previous Post: « Common Law Marriage in Texas
Next Post: Adultery and Divorce in Texas »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Schedule Your Consultation!

Are you in need of a Family Law or Divorce attorney? I would love to help!

RECENT POSTS

protective order domestice violence

How Long Does a Protective Order Last in Texas?

If you are the victim of domestic violence or believe you are in …

sad african american kid holding hands with divorced parents

Do You Need a Child Custody Lawyer?

If you and your ex can peacefully agree on a custody arrangement …

How to File For Divorce in Texas And Protect Your Assets

How to File For Divorce in Texas And Protect Your Assets

When you are preparing to divorce your spouse, it is very …

divorce highlighted on a page. how to file for divorce in texas

How to File for Divorce in Texas

Going through the process of getting a divorce can be difficult …

a wedding cake cut in half. married couple divorced

What Are the Grounds for Divorce in Texas?

The Texas family code lists the following seven grounds for …

Footer

Disclaimer:

You understand that contacting Covington Law Firm, PLLC, or any of its attorneys by any of the methods listed on this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. The attorney-client relationship is formed only when you and Covington Law Firm, PLLC, have expressly agreed to an engagement in writing. Information conveyed to Covington Law Firm, PLLC, via the Internet may not be secure and information conveyed prior to establishing an attorney-client relationship may not be privileged or confidential.

Our Law Office

Covington Law Firm, PLLC
(281) 762-0578
vonda@vondacovington.com

Physical Address

812 Barrett Street
Richmond, TX 77469

Mailing Address

905 Richmond Parkway
Richmond, TX 77469

Contact Us

Contact our legal office today. I am ready to fight for you. There is no better time than now.
Learn How →

  • Blog
  • Family Law Practice Areas
  • Covington Law Firm Reviews

Site Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Vonda Covington, PLLC