Collin County Family Law Attorneys
Dividing property is one thing, but you can't split your children. Child custody is often the most contentious part of divorce. Emotions run high and solutions are elusive — who determines what is in the best interests of your child?
At The Parker Firm in McKinney, Texas, you are guided by veteran lawyers who understand Texas custody law and the dynamics of divorce with children. We have helped hundreds of clients resolve child custody out of court or stand their ground in contested proceedings.
Determining Child Custody
Custody (also called conservatorship) refers to the rights and duties of caring for your child on a day-to-day basis and major decisions about education, health care and upbringing. Texas courts assume joint custody unless there is a compelling reason for sole custody that puts the child at risk, such as the other parent's abuse, neglect or addiction.
In most cases, one parent will have primary custody (sometimes called placement or possession) and the other will have regular visitation, but there is a trend toward more equal parenting time. If you are fighting for primary custody, shared custody (a 50-50 or 60-40 split) or maximum visitation rights, the lawyers of The Parker Firm are skilled at convincing the judge that such an arrangement is in your child's best interests.
Our board-certified family law attorneys* can certainly advance your interests in family court proceedings. But our experience has shown that out-of-court resolution of custody and visitation is better for everyone in the long run. We encourage clients to explore collaborative law or mediation to work out the details, rather than a plan imposed by a judge. These alternatives are less costly than litigation, less stressful for you and your children, and foster a positive co-parenting relationship for the years to come. It is also less likely that you will be back in court to modify or enforce child custody.
For further information about issues involving child custody or visitation, contact the family law attorneys at The Parker Firm today. We represent fathers or mothers, divorcing or never married, in McKinney, Plano, Frisco and throughout Collin County and the DFW Metroplex.
* George Parker and Danny Carl Garner are certified as Family Law Specialists by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a recognition of their experience, legal knowledge and trial advocacy.
George Parker
Danny Carl Garner
J. Kermit Hill
