When and how often will I see my children?
Possession and Access (sometimes called “visitation”) is separate from conservatorship, but of course related to an extent. Here, the question is essentially— “Who has the children and how often?” Most cases have a “primary” parent (the conservator with the exclusive right to determine the primary residence) who generally has the children for a majority of the time, and the other conservator will have a standard possession order, or “expanded” standard possession order, which is set out in the Texas Family Code and is deemed to be the minimal amount of time that a responsible and loving conservator should have. A standard possession order involves the 1st, 3rd and 5th weekend routine often referenced in family law discussions.
For a clearer understanding of what your possession schedule may look like, use our possession schedule calendar tool.
Issues pertaining to possession and access arise in many family law contexts, and can be part of a divorce, part of a modification suit (a lawsuit seeking to modify a previous order regarding possession), or part of a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship, which-also called a “SAPCR.” In any event, for obvious reasons, possession and access is often one of the most important and contentious issues in any family law case.