This is the question I probably get asked more than any other, and it usually comes with a lot of hope attached to it. My daughter is thirteen and she wants to live with me. Doesn’t that settle it? I want to answer this carefully, because there’s a real legal mechanism here and it matters, … Read more
Here’s a scenario I see several times a year, and it never stops being painful. Somebody comes to me eight months after their order was signed. Things have gone badly at the other parent’s house, they’ve got real concerns, and they filed a modification asking to become the primary parent. And the court denied it … Read more
A mediated settlement agreement in Texas isn’t a proposal, and it isn’t a draft you get to sleep on and revise in the morning. If it meets the requirements in the Texas Family Code, it’s about as close to bulletproof as anything gets in family law, and most pro se litigants don’t find that out … Read more
I get some version of this question every week: “What is the judge actually looking at when they decide who gets primary custody?” People assume it’s about who’s the better person, or who makes more money, or who has the bigger house. It’s not. Texas courts use a specific framework that’s been the law since … Read more
If you are trying to modify custody, possession, or child support in Texas, there is one phrase you need to get comfortable with: material and substantial change. Texas Family Code section 156.101 requires it, and I see people lose modification cases constantly because they walk into court with a story instead of evidence of an … Read more
This is one of the most consequential parts of the Texas Family Code and one of the least understood by people representing themselves, on both sides of the allegation. Texas Family Code Section 153.004 deals with a history of family violence or sexual abuse, and it doesn’t just get factored in as one more piece … Read more
If you have a custody case in Texas and the parents can’t agree on a schedule, the court will almost always default to the Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO). It’s laid out in Texas Family Code Chapter 153, and knowing how it works — before you walk into a hearing — makes a real difference … Read more
If you’re trying to modify custody or possession in Texas, there’s one phrase you need to understand before you ever file anything: material and substantial change in circumstances. That’s the standard under Texas Family Code Section 156.101, and it’s a much higher bar than most people expect. The Case That Explains Why “Things Are Different … Read more
When your co-parent moves the children without permission, every hour counts. Learn whether your order was violated, how to file for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, and what emergency remedies Texas courts can grant immediately.
Substance abuse is one of the most serious factors in Texas custody cases. Learn what courts look for, how to document active abuse, how to request drug testing, and what path forward exists for a parent in recovery.