We’re in the final and sixth post on Catherine’s experience with divorce and child custody lawyers Frisco TX. case in North Texas. Over the course of these posts, you’ve gotten to know Catherine’s situation as a mother of two who gave up her career and needs a new plan for life after divorce.
Understanding her journey through the Texas Family Code will give you an idea of the process, but remember every person’s situation is unique. Get personalized legal advice from Woods & Matlock if you need help with a divorce or child custody agreement in Texas.
Giving the Kids Consistency
When we asked Catherine what mattered most for her children, consistency was the first word out of her mouth. Keeping them in the same schools and involved in the same music lessons and after school sports was essential. Catherine wanted a parenting schedule where both her eldest daughter and her son would live with her on weekdays and switch weekends with her husband.
Figuring Out Catherine’s Parenting Schedule
Though Catherine had a pretty straightforward agreement in mind for parenting time during the school year, summers and holidays were a sticky area. Both she and her husband grew up in Texas. Both have large family get togethers for the holidays, making it a tough call on who gets the kids for each holiday. We came up with an arrangement sharing time on the same day for birthdays and Thanksgiving and switching the days each year for Christmas and Christmas Eve.
Ironing Out the Details
As a parent, figuring out how to share times with the kids is a required step in the divorce. Some families make flexible word of mouth agreements that work, but oftentimes each person has a different idea of the meaning and this can result in major disputes.
It might seem tedious, but getting specific arrangements made in the parenting schedule is a smart way to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings later on. Catherine’s parenting agreement also covers who makes decisions about medical care for the children, their schooling, extracurricular activities, and religious practices.
Some agreements created by the divorce and child custody lawyers Frisco TX also cover relocation clauses, so that neither parent can leave a particular neighborhood, city, or state for the children’s best interest.
The End of the Divorce: Catherine’s New Beginning
At the divorce hearing, the judge made the final call on the spousal support amount for Catherine. He also looked over and approved the largely amicable agreements we’d arranged for the family property, assets, and the parenting schedule.
Catherine got to stay in the family home with the kids while she applied for new jobs. She found work in her former field as a personal assistant and also started a successful jeweler business on Etsy in her spare time. The process took time and a lot of decision making but she feels optimistic for the future.
I feel like I got my life back, and I also know where I’m going without having to stress about what will happen to the life we once had. If you need help from divorce and child custody lawyers Frisco TX, you owe it to yourself to call Woods & Matlock. We offer a free brief phone consultation to see how we can help call 972-972-8820 today.