A Texas family court judge will not arrive at a child custody decision until after reviewing detailed evidence and documentation about the child’s best interest. The custody ruling will detail points about sole or joint custody, visitation rights, and other parenting matters. The judge expects both parties to follow the stipulations upon rendering a decision. Rulings are not necessarily permanent, though. Under specific circumstances, the court could modify the custody ruling.
Changing a child custody ruling
Reasons for modifying a child custody order vary, and the reasons don’t always derive from a parent’s negative behavior. For example, the custodial parent may catch a career break that may lead to a substantial increase in income. However, the parent might need to work long hours or be away from home. A revised agreement could alter visitations and parenting plans to accommodate the career change.
Such an example reflects a positive development that comes with concerns about the child’s care. Other situations might not be positive ones. A parent suffering from work stress could become detached from the young one and fail to provide necessary supervision and care. The parent may fall into a substance abuse trap and become abusive and neglectful. When such terrible scenarios play out, the other parent and the court might take action.
Child custody and responsibilities
If a child’s grades start to slip or the young one no longer participates in activities he or she loves, questions may arise about parental neglect or indifference. A child’s mental and physical health could suffer when schooling and extracurricular activities decline, so perhaps a court intervention and custody modifications are in order.
Not all claims about parental neglect are accurate. A bitter ex-spouse might make false accusations when attempting to gain custody or otherwise “punish” the former partner. With the proper counterargument, a parent may successfully overcome false claims.
