Parker Child Custody Lawyers

Divorce and Paternity Attorneys in Collin County, TX

Raising children with a former romantic partner can bring a lot of challenges. If you are getting divorced, a child custody plan will be made as part of your case. If you were never married to your child's other parent, you can still bring a child custody case independently. In Texas, every child custody case is about what is best for the child. When the court is making these decisions, it must consider a wide range of factors to help it determine the child's needs and how each parent can help to meet those needs. Parents also have the option of resolving their child custody dispute outside the courtroom, by agreement.

The Ramage Law Group is committed to creating strong and effective child custody plans for parents who are no longer together. We understand how important it is for both parents to be a major part of their child's life whenever possible, but we also understand the importance of protecting a child from a harmful parent. Our dedicated Parker, TX co-parenting attorneys will do all we can to help you create successful child custody arrangements and visitation schedules.

Understanding the Factors That Affect Child Custody in Texas

Texas state law lists different factors that courts must consider when trying to determine what type of living arrangements and visitation schedules are best for each child. No single factor controls the court's decision, and fathers and mothers are treated equally. The court uses these factors to get the "big picture." The issues you can expect the court to consider include:

• The child's wishes - Many children of divorce or separation have opinions about which parent's household they would like to spend more time in. The court will consider the child's desires without letting them control the case.
• Each parent's abilities - The ability of each parent to meet their child's needs is highly relevant. For example, if one parent cannot provide adequate supervision because they struggle with addiction to drugs, this knowledge will be a big part of the court's decision.
• The child's needs - This includes the child's physical, emotional, educational, social, medical, and other needs.
• Safety concerns - If one parent would endanger the child's physical security or emotional well-being, the court will be reluctant to grant unsupervised visitation time to that parent.
• Stability of each household - This is a complex factor that the court may appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate. If each parent has a safe and stable residence, this factor may not be particularly important in your case. However, if one parent is homeless, living in a shelter or temporary housing, moves around frequently, or has different partners living in the house, the court will want to know this information.
• Parent-child relationship - Anything the parent has done - or failed to do - that would inform the court about their ability to maintain a proper parent-child relationship can be relevant. Any excuses or explanations for these acts or omissions may also be important.

Each of these factors may be investigated more closely by a guardian ad litem, whose role is to gather information for the court. A guardian ad litem may become involved in contested child custody cases, and they can help the judge understand the situation and make decisions that protect the best interests of the child. While child custody cases can be nerve-wracking, most parents in Texas will receive some type of shared custody arrangement, as long as both parties are safe and suitable parents.

Contact a Parker, Texas Child Custody Lawyer

The Ramage Law Group is committed to protecting children by creating strong and effective co-parenting plans for parents who are getting divorced or splitting up. Our experienced team of Collin County divorce and child custody lawyers will do all we can to help you succeed in co-parenting. Contact us at 972-562-9890 to arrange a consultation with a skilled lawyer.