Texas Child Custody Lawyer
When parents separate or divorce, few issues are as important, or as stressful, as child custody. Texas child custody cases determine where a child will live, how decisions are made, and how parenting time is shared. These decisions can affect your child and your family for years.
Snodgrass Law Firm helps parents navigate Texas child custody matters with clear guidance and a focus on practical, long‑term solutions. Whether custody issues arise during divorce, after a separation, or through a modification or enforcement case, understanding how Texas law works is essential.
Understanding Child Custody in Texas
Texas law does not use the term “custody” in the way many people expect. Instead, courts focus on two concepts:
These issues are usually decided together in a Suit Affecting the Parent‑Child Relationship (SAPCR) or as part of a divorce.
How Texas Courts Decide Child Custody
The guiding principle in every Texas custody case is the best interest of the child. Judges consider many factors, including:
Each parent’s ability to provide a stable, safe environment
The child’s physical, emotional, and developmental needs
Each parent’s involvement in the child’s daily life
Willingness of each parent to support the child’s relationship with the other parent
Any history of family violence, abuse, or neglect
Texas law does not automatically favor mothers or fathers. Each case is decided based on its specific facts.
Common Child Custody Arrangements
Joint Managing Conservatorship
This is the most common arrangement in Texas. Both parents share certain rights and duties, although one parent may still have the right to determine the child’s primary residence.
Sole Managing Conservatorship
In some cases, one parent may be awarded primary decision‑making authority, often when there are concerns about safety, instability, or parental conduct.
Possession and Visitation Schedules
Texas has a Standard Possession Order, but schedules can be modified to fit a child’s needs, parents’ work schedules, or geographic distance.
Child Custody Issues During Divorce
Child custody disputes frequently arise during divorce. Even in uncontested divorces, parents must address conservatorship, possession, and child support clearly and correctly. Poorly drafted agreements can lead to enforcement problems and future litigation.
Understanding custody law before finalizing a divorce can help prevent long‑term issues for both parents and children. For more information, see our Contested Divorce page.
Modifying Child Custody Orders
A Texas child custody order can be modified only if:
There has been a material and substantial change in circumstances, and
The requested change is in the child’s best interest
Common reasons for modification include relocation, changes in a child’s needs, or concerns about a parent’s conduct. Modifications are not automatic and require careful legal analysis.
Enforcing Child Custody and Visitation Orders
When a parent does not follow a custody or visitation order, Texas law provides enforcement remedies. Courts can impose penalties, order makeup visitation, or modify existing orders in serious cases.
Prompt legal action is often important to protect your rights and your child’s well‑being.
Child Custody Appeals in Texas
In limited situations, a child custody decision may be appealed. Appeals focus on whether the trial court made legal errors, not simply whether a parent disagrees with the outcome. Strict deadlines apply, making early legal review critical. See our Family Law Appeals page for more information.
Child Custody Cases in Corpus Christi and South Texas
While Texas custody law is statewide, local court procedures and practices can affect how cases are handled. Working with a lawyer familiar with Corpus Christi and South Texas courts can help avoid unnecessary delays and procedural issues.
Talk to a Texas Child Custody Lawyer
If you are facing a child custody dispute, modification, or enforcement issue, informed legal guidance can make a meaningful difference. Snodgrass Law Firm represents parents in Texas child custody matters, focusing on clear advice and practical solutions tailored to each family’s situation. For more information, see our article “How Child Custody Is Really Decided in Texas and the Mistakes Parents Regret Later.”
Contact Snodgrass Law Firm today to schedule a consultation and discuss your child custody case.
Why Choose Snodgrass Law Firm
Experience handling contested divorce and family law disputes
Direct communication with your attorney
Practical, results-focused advice
Strong advocacy in negotiation and court
We understand that your family law case is not just a legal matter—it affects your family, finances, and future. Our approach is straightforward, strategic, and client-focused.
Serving Corpus Christi and South Texas
Snodgrass Law Firm represents clients in contested divorce matters in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, and surrounding Coastal Bend communities.Practicing Family Law offers the privilege of helping clients through the most emotionally complicated period of their lives. If you would like assistance with any Family Law matter, contact Corpus Christi Child Custody Lawyer R.F. Michael Snodgrass at info@snodlaw.com or call or text us at 361-239-8332 to set up a consultation at our office, by phone, or on Zoom.
