Category Archives: Child Custody
Child Custody Disputes and Drug Testing
When the custody of your children is a main point of disagreement, either party may file a motion seeking to have the other party tested for drugs. Why a Texas Divorce Court May Grant a Drug Test Motion There are multiple reasons why drug testing may be ordered during a divorce, but the biggest… Read More »
Common Law Divorce and How It Affects Child Custody
In Texas, you do not need a marriage ceremony or engagement rings to get married. There is something called a “common law marriage” where a couple is recognized as married without a marriage license or ceremony. A common law marriage carries the exact same legal effect as a traditional marriage with a ceremony. Requirements… Read More »
Getting Divorced and Having a Special Needs Child
According to a recent U.S. Census study, 54.4 million Americans (which equates to about one in five U.S. residents) have a disability. The number of children and youth between the ages of 3 and 21 receiving special education services was 6.6 million, according to NCES.gov. Among children and youth that received special education services,… Read More »
Understanding the Rights of Grandparents to Seek Custody of a Child
Approximately 2.7 million grandparents are currently raising grandchildren and that number is expected to go up, according to PBS. The number of grandparents raising their grandchildren increased seven percent since 2009. Some experts studying this issue anticipate the numbers to spike given the opiate epidemic that is ravaging many communities across the country. For… Read More »
Visitation Rights: How They are Lost
If you and your significant other separate, there are many things to consider if you have children. One of the most important factors is child custody and visitation rights of both parents, as well as third parties involved in the lives of the children. The Texas Family Code helps outline factors to consider, how… Read More »
Third Party Child Custody Rights
Determining child custody between parents can be a major source of contention during divorce proceedings, however, family structure today is not always made up of a child’s biological parents. When divorce happens, these relationships that both the child and the third party have built together can become threatened. In certain situations, that third party… Read More »
The Role Of Virtual Visitation In Texas
With the advent of many new types of technology, the landscape of child custody is rapidly changing. Several states including Texas have passed laws that allow virtual visitation as part of a parenting plan in child custody agreements. Virtual visitation includes software application like Skype, video phones, and webcams and significantly helps parents maintain… Read More »
The Effect Of Drug And Alcohol Use On Custody Determinations
Actors Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie have reached a temporary conclusion over custody of the couple’s children. The couple appears to have agreed to a deal proposed by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Both Jolie and Pitt have agreed to go through individual counseling sessions. Pitt has also… Read More »
Surrogacy Agreements in Texas
Surrogacy agreements are contracts that a couple or an individual enters into with a fertile woman to carry a baby through pregnancy. In accordance with the agreement, the baby is delivered to the couple or an individual after the pregnancy is completed. There are several reasons why a couple might opt to choose surrogacy:… Read More »
Recent Child Custody Reforms
Several decades ago, courts of law who heard divorce cases automatically assigned primary custody of the child or children in question to the mother while fathers were given visitation rights. An increasing number of courts today, however, recognize the importance that both parents play in a child’s development and have changed child custody law… Read More »
