Texas Courts presume that appointing both parents of a child as Joint Managing Conservators (JMC) is in the best interest of the child. It is the public policy of Texas to assure that children will have frequent and continuing contact with parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the child, to provide a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment for the child, and to encourage parents to share in the rights and duties of raising their child after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage. There are limited circumstances where the parties will not be appointed as JMC. This usually means that the case involves family violence. Please let me know if the other parent has ever committed family violence against you or another family member. Keep in mind that Joint Managing Conservatorship DOES NOT require the award of equal or nearly equal periods of possession to each JMC.

Geographic Restrictions 

It is customary for the residence of a child to be restricted to a particular geographic area, such as a county or a school district.

Morality Clauses

This is another customary provision in divorces or other proceedings when children are invloved. This usually applies to both parents jointly.  The general language included in decrees and court orders is that neither parent shall permit unrelated persons  with whom the parent is involved in an intimate or dating relationship to spend the night when the children are in the parent's care care during certain hours, usually 10pm to 8am.  

Parenting Plans

Texas parents are now required to implement a parenting plan, which may include a Parenting Coordinator appointed by the court to oversee the terms of visitaion and facilitate communication by the parties. A parenting plan is a court order that sets out the rights and duties that divorcing parents have to their children.  Sometimes a court will also order the appointment of a parenting coordinator.A court-appointed parenting coordinator, trained in parent coordination and family violence, assists the divorcing parents in setting guidelines for any potential parental problems.With parenting plans, both parents concentrate on the future well being of their children by creating a detailed, written contract about how the children will be raised after the divorce.

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