Proven Texas Child Custody Lawyer in Northwest Houston
At the Law Office of Holli M. Palmer, we recognize and understand the importance of protecting your children’s immediate and future well-being. Texas courts are charged with considering only the best interests of the child in making custody and visitation decisions, and we build our cases accordingly, keeping that important standard in mind. We work to ensure that your perspective is properly heard, and will pursue your parental goals with energy and creativity.
We have obtained favorable custody outcomes for both mothers and fathers. Helping you decide how to proceed, as a mom or dad with an intense desire to protect and provide for your kids, is a clear strength we bring to every divorce with children.
Contact us today to arrange a free, informative consultation.
Practical Counsel, Determined Representation and Creative Solutions
From cases involving two well-adjusted but incompatible parents to those involving domestic abuse or estrangement, we target productive solutions. We offer realistic advice that considers your personal and financial priorities. When your goal is obtaining physical child custody or otherwise maintaining a major role in your children’s lives, we make this our goal as well.
Our past successes include:
- Winning custody for a parent despite his being unable to see the kids for several years, by substantiating serious problems in the custodial parent’s home
- Securing appropriate child support orders when children have special needs or when deviations from guidelines are justified for other reasons
- Developing workable, court-approved shared physical custody arrangements when the parents are able to agree on terms
- Finding constructive visitation solutions to accommodate the challenging schedules of shift-working parents and those who work weekends
- Working with courts and agencies to arrange safe supervised visitation when either parent is recovering from addiction or has other problems
Your Legal Resource for Modifications of Existing Custody Orders
Attorney Holli M. Palmer and our legal team are also well-versed in the standards and requirements for post-divorce modifications involving child custody and visitation. We have helped parents reach favorable outcomes when a child is endangered or suffering, and when a child 12 or older wants to live with the noncustodial parent. We can help you deal with any challenge involving parental relocation, including negotiation of modified visitation to keep both parents involved.
Standard Possession Order - What is it?
If you have minor children, it is very likely that the non-custodial parent will have a Standard Possession Order. The basics of that order are as follows:
- Every 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekend of the month, beginning on Friday, and ending on Sunday. This can be expanded in some circumstances so that the children are returned to school on Monday morning instead of Sunday night;
- Every Thursday, either from 6:00 p.m . to 8:00 p.m., or overnight;
- Every other Spring Break if the parents live less than 100 miles apart; or every Spring Break if the parents live more than 100 miles apart;
- 30 days in the summer, or 42 days if the parties are more then 100 miles apart;
- Holidays - one parent gets Thanksgiving, and the other parent gets from the day school is released for Christmas untill noon on Dec. 28th. The parent who had Thanksgiving gets noon on Dec. 28 until school resumes after the holidays. The following year, this will be reversed; and
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There are additional provisions for Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, Easter, Halloween, and Jewish Holidays. All of those things can be worked out and included in your final order.
- Keep in mind that the above provisions list the basics. Possession orders are frequently customized to reflect individual family schedules and holiday traditions. If you already have an order in place, you need to read that order.
