How Does the Court Make Your Child Custody Determination?
What are the decision rules for courts in making your child custody determination? Fort Bend County Family Law Attorney Vonda Covington answers that question in this video. Call (281) 762-0578for an appointment with Vonda.
Summary of Child Custody Determination in Texas Video
– – Hi, I’m Vonda Covington. I’m a divorce attorney in Fort Bend County, Texas. My office is in Richmond.
I wanted to talk a little bit about child custody and what the court looks at to make a decision on which parent the child is going to live with. The court uses what’s called the best interest standard. They look at what’s in the best interest of the children. Despite what Mom wants, despite what Dad wants, they look at what’s best for the child.
Typically one of the factors that the court considers very seriously is who has the primary caretaker of these children been. Unless there’s a problem with that primary caretaker, typically that’s who the court is going to go with because that’s what the kids are accustomed to and that’s what’s been working for quite some time.
Can dads get custody? Absolutely dads can get custody. The court doesn’t really have a preference of mom over dad except to the extent that one parent or the other has been the primary caretaker already. In American culture very often that’s still the mom. I see that all the time.
But you know what, also in the last 20 years of practicing family law I have seen a lot of dads who have been the primary caretakers and a lot of dads who have been the best parent. It varies from one family to another and it depends on the facts of the particular situation.
Do not give up on being the person who gets custody just based on gender. It really is the best interest of the kids that the court looks at.
What Will the Child Custody Determination Be in Your Case?
Call our office at (281) 762-0578for a consultation with Vonda Covington. They can help you understand the likely child custody determination in your case, and the factors that will likely be considered by the court in making that determination.
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