Child custody and visitation issues are often contentious. A child’s visitation schedule is important to both parents as they negotiate living arrangements and other plans. When one parent seeks to change the visitation schedule for a child after a divorce, it can be very disconcerting to the other party and may also be the subject of further legal proceedings.
In many Texas divorces, an arrangement for child custody and visitation is included in the final divorce documents for a couple with minor children. The documents typically detail on what days and at what times a child will reside with each parent. This schedule becomes permanent unless a court approves a change later.
One issue that can cause contention in child custody decisions is if a parent decides to move out of state. When this occurs, the other parent has a right to object, and the court is left with the task of deciding what is in the best interests of any children covered by the custody order.
In one recent case, a father feared a Wisconsin court was not going to decide in his favor, after he objected to his ex-wife’s request to relocate with his child. He turned to the public in an attempt to try to sway the court decision. Placing signs in his town that directed people to a YouTube video, he hoped to create an outcry over the proposed relocation. In a somewhat unusual effort to keep his children nearby, the man’s 19-minute video details his reasons for opposing the relocation.
Although this story did not take place in Texas, it certainly highlights the often contentious nature of child custody orders. Often the argument focuses on the desire of both parents to act in the best interests of their children. When a parent wishes to contest a child custody decision or proposal, it can be helpful to obtain a full understanding of his or her rights and options under the law.
Source: The Northwestern, “Man takes custody fight to the streets of Oshkosh,” Patricia Wolff, April 10, 2012