Custodia

En Texas, a la visitación se le llama “posesión y derecho a visita” al niño.  Un padre puede obtener la posesión y derecho a visita, salvo que el juez determine que no es lo que más conviene al niño y pondrá en riesgo su bienestar físico o emocional.¹

Durante el tiempo en que el padre tenga la posesión de su hijo, él/ella tiene:

• La obligación de cuidar, proteger, hacerse cargo y de manera razonable, disciplinar al niño;
• La obligación de mantener al niño, proporcionándole vestido, alimento, casa y cuidados médicos y dentales, no incluyendo un procedimiento invasivo.
• El derecho a dar el consentimiento para los cuidados médicos y dentales del niño, no incluyendo un procedimiento invasivo; y
• El derecho a guiar al niño en su desarrollo moral y religioso.²

El juez organizará un horario de visita, el cual se llama una orden estándar de posesión, y se crea con base en ciertos lineamientos. Se utiliza una orden estándar de posesión para niños de tres o más años.³  Para un niño menor de tres años, el juez organizará un horario de visita que considere apropiado.⁴ Vea ¿Qué factores considera un juez para un niño que tiene menos de tres años de edad? para más información.

Se puede modificar una orden de posesión para poder cubrir las necesidades particulares del tutor o tutores de representación, tutor posesorio y del niño(s).⁵

¹ Código Familiar del Estado de Texas § 153.191
² Código Familiar del Estado de Texas § 153.074
³ Código Familiar del Estado de Texas § 153.251
⁴ Código Familiar del Estado de Texas § 153.254
⁵ Código Familiar del Estado de Texas § 153.253

If the possessory conservator lives 50 miles or less away from the primary residence of the child, the possessory conservator will usually have the right to possession of the child for the following times in addition to the times given to a parent who lives within 100 miles:

1. on weekends during the regular school term, beginning when school is regularly dismissed and ending when school starts after the weekend;
2. on Thursdays of each week during the regular school term, beginning when school is regularly dismissed and ending when school starts on Friday;
3. for spring vacation in even-numbered years, beginning when school is dismissed;
4. for Christmas vacation in even-numbered years, beginning when school is dismissed for the holiday;
5. for Thanksgiving vacation in odd-numbered years, beginning when school is dismissed for the holiday;
6. for Father’s Day, if the possessory conservator is the father, beginning at 6 p.m. the Friday before and ending at 8 a.m. the Monday after the holiday;
7. for Mother’s Day, if the possessory conservator is the mother, beginning when school is dismissed the Friday before and ending when school starts the Monday after the holiday;
8. for weekends that are extended by a holiday or teacher in-service day that falls on a Friday, beginning when school is dismissed on Thursday; and
9. for weekends that are extended by a holiday or teacher in-service day that falls on a Monday, ending at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays.¹

Note: Regarding numbers six and seven, above, the law doesn’t address a situation in which a child has two mothers or two fathers. If this is your situation, you may want to talk to a lawyer for advice.

These nine additional times, listed above, for a possessory conservator who lives within 50 miles will not be added to the order, however, if any of the following apply:

• the possessory conservator declines one or more of the additional times either orally in front of the judge or in a written document filed with the court;
• the judge denies or limits the possessory conservator’s time with the child because it is in the child’s best interest; or
• the judge decides that any of the additional times are not in the child’s best interests because:
  
  • the distances between the parents’ homes make it unworkable or inappropriate considering the parents’ circumstances or where the parents live;
  • the possessory conservator did not frequently and continuously exercise the rights and duties of a parent with respect to the child before the custody case was filed; or
  • any other reason exists that the judge considers relevant.²

¹ Tex. Fam. Code § 153.3171(a)
² Tex. Fam. Code § 153.3171(b)

If the possessory conservator lives more than 100 miles from the residence of the child, the standard possession schedule for the possessory conservator would likely be different than the schedules for when a parent lives within 50 miles or within 100 miles. In this situation, the possessory conservator will usually have the right to possession of the child for the following times:

1. for weekends, either:
   • beginning at 6 p.m. on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month and ending at 6 p.m. on the following Sunday; or
   • not more than one weekend per month that the possessory conservator chooses, beginning at 6 p.m. on the day school lets out for the weekend and ending at 6 p.m. on the day before school resumes after the weekend. Note: For this option, the possessory conservator would have to give the other parent:
     • written notice within 90 days of moving more than 100 miles away; and
     • notice in writing or over the phone at least 14 days before choosing the weekend for the visit;
2. for spring vacation, beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is dismissed from school for the vacation and ending at 6 p.m. on the day before school resumes after the vacation; and
3. for summer vacation, either:
   • 42 days, beginning no earlier than the day after school is dismissed for the summer and ending no later than seven days before school resumes. The 42 days can be taken all at once or in two separate periods of at least seven consecutive days, beginning and ending at 6 p.m. if the possessory conservator gives the managing conservator notice about the chosen dates by April 1; or
   • 42 consecutive days beginning 6 p.m. on June 15 and ending at 6 p.m. on July 27 if the possessory conservator does not give the managing conservator notice of the chosen dates by April 1.¹

Note: The managing conservator may still get to see the child during the possessory conservator’s 42 days of summer vacation. See When can the managing conservator have the child during the summer when the parents live more than 100 miles apart?

¹ Tex. Fam. Code § 153.313(1), (2), (3)

Si usted no está cómoda con el hecho de que su agresor este a solas con su hijo/a, pude que usted quiera considerar pedirle al juez que las visitas sean supervisadas. Si usted tiene ya un caso abierto en la corte porque su agresor solicitó custodia o visitación, usted todavía puede pedirle al juez que las visitas sean supervisadas, no tiene que perder.

Sin embargo, si usted no tiene un caso abierto en la corte, por favor obtenga consejo legal ANTES de que usted le pida al juez por visitas supervisadas. Nosotros recomendamos que hable con un abogado que se especializa en casos de custodia, para averiguar que tiene que probar ante el juez para que le otorgue visitas supervisadas y cuanto tiempo estas visitas supervisadas van a durar dependiendo de su caso.

En la mayoría de los casos, las visitas supervisadas son una medida temporal.  Aunque cada orden de visitación va a depender de cada estado, condado o juez/a, el/la juez/a puede ordenar a un/a profesional a que observe el comportamiento de el/la padre/madre en algunas de las visitas o las visitas pueden ser supervisadas por un familiar durante algunos meses – y si no hay ningún problema, lo más probable es que las visitas dejen de ser supervisadas. Por lo general, el/la padre/madre termina teniendo vistas más frecuentes y por más largo rato que antes de ir a corte. Puede que el también termine teniendo la custodia compartida.

En algunos casos, para proteger a su hijo/a de peligro inmediato de el/la agresor/a, es apropiado empezar un caso en la corte sobre custodia y visitación. Para saber si eso es lo mejor para su caso, vaya a TX Encontrando a un Abogado.