Hardeman County, TX Child Custody Guide

Texas courts use the "best interest of the child" standard to make child custody decisions. Specifically, judges refer to Section 153.002 of the Texas Family Code which says:

The best interest of the child shall always be the primary consideration of the court in determining the issues of conservatorship and possession of and access to the child.

more...  

If you’re confused about the different types of child custody and how they work, you’re not alone. Here, we’ll demystify some of the basic terms and concepts you need to know when you’re trying to create a good parenting plan, focusing on what it means to share custody of your kids.

In Texas, while everyone will know what you mean when you ask about "custody," that term doesn't appear in state law. Instead, Texas uses the term "conservatorship" to refer to parents' rights to make decisions for their children.

Getting Conservatorship of a Child in Texas

A parent who has conservatorship rights has the equivalent of what most states call physical and legal custody of their children. Physical custody is all about where the children live, while legal custody covers pretty much everything else, including decisions about the children’s religious training, choice of schools and tutors, extracurricular activities, medical treatment, mental health care, and more.

more...  

When parents divorce or separate, the law allows only one of them to claim their child as a tax dependent. By default, the IRS gives this right to the custodial parent—that is, the parent with whom the child lives for more than half of the year. But there are ways to change the default rule and give child-related tax benefits to the non-custodial parent.

In this article, you'll learn:

• How Recent Changes to Federal Tax Law Affect Divorced or Separated Parents
• Which Parent Gets the Child Tax Credit After a Divorce
• When a Non-Custodial Parent Can Claim the Child Tax Credit
• Who Claims a Child on Taxes When Parents Have Joint Custody
• How the Child Tax Credit Works

more...  

A 2019 study showed that child support payment amounts vary dramatically from state to state. A parent in one state may pay or receive up to three times as much as a parent in an identical situation who lives in another state—and the differences don’t depend on cost of living.

Given this, a parent might reasonably wonder whether it would be possible to get a lot more child support—or pay a lot less—by moving to the state next door. For better or worse, it’s not that easy.