The Woodlands Child Custody Attorney

The Woodlands Child Custody Lawyer Serving Harris County

Modern families come in many different forms, and there are a variety of situations where a child's parents do not live together. In these cases, parents will need to determine how to address custody of their children. By establishing legal orders that detail parental rights and responsibilities and specify when children will live in each parent's home, parents can make sure they will be able to work together to provide for their children's needs. When addressing child custody issues, it is important for a parent to get legal help from an attorney who can advise them of their options and help them address their children's best interests.

The Bihm Firm, PLLC works to ensure that parents can address child custody issues effectively. Throughout her career, Attorney Kate Bihm has represented parents in a wide variety of family law cases. She works with parents to address child custody in divorce cases and situations involving unmarried couples, and she also provides representation for families in cases involving paternity or parentage disputes.

Child Custody Cases in Texas

In Texas, child custody is known as "conservatorship," and in most divorce cases, parents will be able to work together as joint managing conservators of the children they share. Joint conservatorship may also be appropriate if parents are unmarried, depending on the level of involvement each parent has had with their children in the past. However, there are some situations in which one parent may be granted sole managing conservatorship, allowing them to make decisions about their children without the requirement to consult with the other parent.

Whether joint managing conservatorship or sole managing conservatorship is appropriate, both parents will typically share physical possession of their children. One of the parents will usually be named the custodial parent, which will give them the right to choose the location of children's primary residence, but children will also be able to spend an appropriate amount of visitation with the non-custodial parent. In a standard possession order, a non-custodial parent will spend visitation time with children every other weekend, as well as on one evening per week and for up to 30 days during children's summer vacation. However, parents can determine other types of visitation arrangements that may be appropriate, such as equal physical custody in which children live with each parent during alternating weeks.

While married parents who are getting divorced will have the right to share custody of their children, unmarried parents may need to establish paternity before child custody issues can be addressed. Fathers will want to determine how they can protect their parental rights in child custody cases, but they should understand that Texas law is gender-neutral when addressing these matters. In situations where a parent has a history of addiction or substance abuse, they may have certain requirements regarding rehabilitation, and they may have supervised or restricted child visitation time.

Contact a The Woodlands Child Custody Lawyer

If you are a parent who is getting divorced or need to address child custody as an unmarried parent, The Bihm Firm, PLLC will advise you of your options as you work to negotiate agreements that will meet your family's needs. To set up a free consultation and get legal help with child-related issues, contact our office. Call 936-788-6100 for an appointment today.