Texas parents of minor children generally are not able to entirely sever ties even if they get a divorce. Most of the time, they have a custody agreement in place in which the child spends some time with each parent. Unfortunately, this can lead to conflict in some cases.
Most courts agree that children should spend time with both parents, and parents may agree with this even if they struggle to maintain a functioning co-parenting relationship. There are a few points parents should keep in mind if they are experiencing conflict with one another. While the adversarial process of litigation often focuses on a winner and a loser, they should focus on the best interests of the child. This means that if they are considering trying to take custody from the other parent, they should understand their motives. This is something that parents should only do if the children are in danger with the other parent.
If this is not the case but the co-parenting relationship is still fraught with conflict, parents should make an effort to protect their children. This includes not badmouthing the other parent, ensuring that the children have a healthy structure in their lives and talking to children about how they are feeling.
There are a number of different ways parents can approach child custody and visitation. Many parents may share custody, with the children spending roughly equal time in each of their homes. In other situations, one parent may have custody while the other has visitation time. This might range from the child spending a few days a week to every other weekend or less with the noncustodial parent. Parents who need to make a change to a custody or support arrangement after the divorce can return to court with their attorney and ask for a modification.