Child Custody Lawyers Serving Collin County, Denton County, and the Surrounding Areas

Protecting Parental Rights in Child Custody Matters

A parent's right to decide how their children will be raised and be closely involved in their children's lives is very important. These rights should be protected, regardless of whether parents are married, unmarried, separated, or divorced. Issues related to child custody are often some of the most important concerns for parents to address during the divorce process. However, child custody may be a factor in other types of family law cases as well, including situations where a child is born to unmarried parents.

To ensure that child custody matters will be handled correctly, it is crucial for parents to work with a family law attorney. At The Ramage Law Group, we provide legal help and representation for parents, working closely with our clients to determine the best solutions that will allow them to meet their children's needs in the years to come. Whether you are seeking custody rights during a divorce, need to establish a parenting agreement that will detail when you will see and spend time with your children, or are looking to make changes to an existing child custody agreement, we can advise you on the best steps to take to protect your parental rights.

Legal Custody/Conservatorship

Shared legal custody is usually the best solution for families in which parents are no longer in a relationship with each other. Legal custody, which is referred to as conservatorship in Texas, involves the right of a parent to be involved in making decisions about how their child will be raised. Most of the time, courts will put orders in place that provide for joint managing conservatorship, and parents will be required to work together to make decisions for their children.

Conservatorship may involve a variety of different types of decisions that parents will need to address. These include issues related to education, such as where children will attend school, and healthcare, such as who will be a child's primary physician, what types of treatment the child will receive, and what steps will need to be taken to address a child's ongoing medical needs.

We can help parents create joint managing conservatorship agreements that will fully detail how decisions will be made about critical child-related issues. In certain situations, such as those involving an absent or abusive parent, we may be able to argue for sole managing conservatorship that will give one parent the right to make all decisions for their children.

Physical Custody/Possession and Access

The other important element of child custody involves the days and times that children will be in the care of each parent. This is referred to as physical custody or possession and access. Joint physical custody is usually appropriate, even in situations where one parent will have sole legal custody. This can ensure that children will be able to maintain close relationships with both parents and spend time in each parent's home on an ongoing basis.

We can help parents create custody schedules that will detail when children will see and live with each parent. With our guidance, parents can address the potential issues that may arise when sharing custody, such as determining where children will stay on different holidays or during school vacations. We can also help put solutions in place to minimize conflict between parents and ensure that children's best interests will be protected at all times.

Child Support

In addition to determining how legal and physical custody will be shared, parents will need to make sure their children will be financially supported. Most of the time, one parent will be required to pay child support to the other, and these payments are meant to address children's basic, ongoing needs, such as food and clothing. We can help ensure that child support is calculated correctly based on the income and net resources of the paying parent, and we can also address other expenses that parents may need to share, such as costs related to healthcare, education, or child care.

Contact Our Collin and Denton County Child Custody Attorneys

At The Ramage Law Group, we know how important it is to address child custody issues correctly. The orders created in family court can have a huge impact on parent/child relationships, and they can affect children's health and safety and other aspects of their lives. We strive to develop solutions that meet parents' needs while putting children's best interests first. Contact us today at 469-272-8162 for more information on how our firm can help you address issues related to child custody in Collin County.