{"id":376700,"date":"2017-06-07T14:03:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T19:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/texas-law\/your-houston-child-custody-case-the-basics.html"},"modified":"2017-06-07T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T04:00:00","slug":"your-houston-child-custody-case-the-basics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/texas-law\/your-houston-child-custody-case-the-basics.html","title":{"rendered":"Your Houston Child Custody Case: The Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Your Houston Child Custody Case: The Basics<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Your pending divorce has left a Texas-sized hole in your heart. Despite your pain and anger, your main priority is your children\u2019s well-being. Now that they won\u2019t be raised in a two-parent household, you have a lot of questions. Will they still live with you in Houston or with their other parent in Deer Park? Can they go on the annual summer vacation to Puerto Vallarta with your side of the family? Who decides where they go to school? Luckily, there are Texas laws and procedures in place to help you answer these questions. This article provides basic information about child custody law in Houston.<\/p>\r\n

What is Child Custody?<\/h2>\r\n

In Houston, child custody is called \u201cconservatorship.\u201d Conservatorship is the right to make decisions for a child, including where that child will live and other determinations about his or her health, education, and upbringing. Usually, conservatorship is not about the amount of time one person spends with a child. Instead, it addresses the rights, powers, and duties related to a child.<\/p>\r\n

Two people can share custody (joint managing conservatorship) or one person may be granted exclusive custody (sole managing conservatorship). Even in situations of joint managing conservatorship, two people may not share rights equally. For example, one person may receive more physical time with the child and often one person\u2019s home will be designated as the child\u2019s primary residence.<\/p>\r\n

Visitation, known as \u201caccess and possession\u201d in Texas, is commonly granted to a person (\u201cpossessory conservator\u201d) who has joint managing conservatorship but whose home is not the child\u2019s primary residence. Texas law outlines a Standard Possession Order<\/a> for visitation.<\/p>\r\n

Who Can File for Child Custody in Houston?<\/h2>\r\n

Only individuals with a legally-recognized interest in a child may file for custody of that child. In general, qualifying individuals include the following:<\/p>\r\n