Bee Cave Child Custody Lawyer

Trusted Child Custody Attorney in Bee Cave, TX

Issues surrounding child custody are often extremely contentious. Typically, both parents want to protect their children’s best interests, but they disagree on how to do that. Having a skilled Bee Cave child custody lawyer on your side can help you protect your parental rights as you move forward in the process of determining who should receive custody and primary conservatorship.

Trust The Law Office of Ben Carrasco, PLLC

Here at The Law Office of Ben Carrasco, PLLC, we focus our practice exclusively on family law. In our time in practice, we’ve handled countless complex child custody cases. We’re familiar with child custody laws and how to leverage them to protect our clients’ parental rights and their children’s best interests. Let us bring our knowledge and experience to bear on your case.

Why Hire a Child Custody Lawyer?

One-fourth of the people living in Texas are children, and 29.6% of those children live in single-family homes. Although Texas prioritizes joint legal custody, more mothers are custodial parents than fathers, who receive an average of 33% of the parenting time. That said, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the child’s mother or father. You need to hire a child custody lawyer to represent your rights and your child’s interests. Your lawyer can:

• Assist you with paperwork, such as drafting parenting plans
• Negotiate with the other parent’s lawyer to attempt to reach a fair agreement
• Collect evidence, interview witnesses, and build a case
• Represent you in the Travis County Civil & Family Courts Facility, should you be unable to come to an agreement in negotiations
• Modify existing custody orders if your circumstances, or those of your spouse, have changed

Working with a dedicated Bee Cave child custody attorney is the most effective way to protect your rights and improve the odds of a beneficial outcome in your case. Having a lawyer on your side can also help to take some of the stress off your shoulders during this challenging time.

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When Is Sole Conservatorship Assigned?

In Texas, sole conservatorship, or custody, is assigned only when it’s in the best interests of the child. This could be the case if one parent has a history of:

• Domestic violence
• Substance abuse
• Child abuse or neglect
• Absence or abandonment

In most other cases, legal custody is assigned jointly. However, one parent is often assigned primary managing conservatorship. This custodial parent is the one with whom the child lives the majority of the time. The other parent receives visitation rights. The law functions in this way even if one parent has just 51% of parenting time with the child. 

In almost all cases, judges want the child to maintain a relationship with both parents. How much time the non-custodial parent gets to visit with the child varies depending on the particulars of the case.

Factors That Affect Custody and Visitation

Absent any serious issues within the home, such as a history of domestic violence or child neglect, there are still several factors that courts must consider before issuing a custody order. They can include:

• The parental abilities of both children
• The parents’ abilities to communicate with one another about the child’s needs
• The role each parent played in the child’s upbringing before the custody dispute
• The parents’ behavior toward the child and each other during the custody dispute
• The location of each parent’s home compared to the child’s school, activities, and friends

In some cases, Texas courts also consider the wishes of the child. The child must be at least 12 years old and able to tell the court why they want a particular custody arrangement.

The top priority of the courts is always the child’s well-being. If there are other factors that could influence their well-being, they should also be taken into account.

FAQs

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Family Lawyer for Child Custody?

How much it costs to hire a family lawyer for child custody varies depending on the specifics of your case. Contested cases tend to cost much more to resolve than uncontested cases, in which the lawyer’s job is limited to drafting and filing paperwork. In contested cases, attorneys must represent you and your child’s interests in negotiating meetings, conducting discovery, filing pre-trial motions, and possibly going to court, leading to far more billable hours.

Who Receives Custody in Most Child Custody Cases?

Parents receive joint legal custody in most child custody cases in Texas. However, in most cases, one parent is designated as the primary conservator or custodial parent. This parent is given the exclusive right to determine the child’s primary residence, while the other parent receives visitation rights. Judges decide who to assign as the primary conservator based on the child’s best interests. 

How Can You Impress a Judge Determining Child Custody Arrangements?

To impress a judge determining child custody arrangements, you should maintain composure and demonstrate that you always put your child’s well-being ahead of your emotions. Judges are impressed by parents who come well-prepared, act reasonably, and are cooperative instead of those who focus on attacking the other parent. You should also try to make concise requests and avoid interrupting.

What Is the Biggest Mistake in a Child Custody Battle?

The biggest mistake in a child custody battle is placing your emotions above the best interests of the child. Attempting to alienate the child from the other parent or disrupt their relationship can damage your credibility and potential custody rights. You should also avoid violating court orders by ignoring temporary parenting schedules or missing court deadlines, as these could negatively impact your child custody case.

Your Bee Cave Child Custody Lawyer

If you need a Bee Cave child custody lawyer to assist you with your case or make modifications to an existing child custody agreement, you can trust the team here at The Law Office of Ben Carrasco, PLLC. 

Lead attorney Ben Carrasco is Stanford-educated and Board Certified in Family Law, which he practices exclusively. Every client we take on works directly with our lead attorney, so you can rest easy knowing that your case is in good hands. Contact us for an initial consultation today.