Health issues that you or your child either face can impact future custody arrangements for your family. Suppose we assume that you have already been through a child custody or divorce case in Texas and have valid court orders dealing with possession. In that case, the next consideration we would need to give is whether or not a modification would be necessary for your family. However, we should not simply consider what health issues are central to changes. Still, we should instead think about what a modification is, how a court would grant a modification request, in what scenarios may play out in your life that justifies a change in the future.
That is what I would like to discuss with you all today in our blog post. First, we will discuss what a modification is in a Texas family law case. Next, we will talk about how a court can grant or approve a modification request. After that, we will get into custody circumstances for you and your family and how health issues can impact future modification requests regarding these custody-related topics for your family.
What does it mean to request a modification in a Texas family law case?
Sometimes, after a certain period has passed, the family court orders you have regarding custody of your child no longer work for you, your Co-parent, or your child. The thing about life is that it is constantly changing. When we think that we have reached a point in our lives where stability and consistency will be the norm, we find ourselves staring at change. It is, as they say, inevitable. We encounter change with great frequency and are forced to evolve with those changes or be left behind. You could say that difference is about the only constant that we have in our world today.
I think it is pretty apparent that the coronavirus pandemic has proven to be the most significant period of change that most of us have seen in any of our lifetimes. As we are now firmly in month #7 of the pandemic, we have seen some things change temporarily and slowly start to work back to what they were before the pandemic. Furthermore, it is yet to be seen how long-lasting the health consequences of this virus will be. A lot of that depends on how quickly a safe and trustworthy vaccine can be developed and distributed to people worldwide. Until then, I doubt that people will feel overly confident about returning to the way life used to be.
However, I don’t see most people using the coronavirus pandemic as the basis for a child custody modification. However, I can foresee people being put in a position where their child custody orders no longer work for them in some circumstances. We will discuss this issue towards the end of the blog post, but I wanted to touch on it here to make sure that you knew that I was thinking about the same thing.
A child custody modification involves one parent filing a request with the judge to modify some aspect of the child custody orders that are in place. A material and substantial change must have occurred in a parent’s life or of one of the children and your family to justify a modification. this means that you cannot simply base an improvement on any particular set of circumstances having changed or by any minute difference of opinion on how custody should work between you and your co-parent. A family court judge will use their experience working with families to determine if a material and substantial change have occurred and if the requested modification is in your child’s best interest.
This is an important aspect to note, which I think does not get enough attention when discussing this topic. The reality of the situation is that even if the material in substantial change is ruled to have occurred by a judge, you must still show the court that whatever change is being requested are you or your co-parent is in your child’s best interests. This means that the emotional, physical, educational, in psychological benefits of the proposed modification must be in that child’s favor. If a judge does not rule that the proposed amendment is in their best interests, then the request will be denied.
This can sometimes be a high hurdle to clear. The reason for this is that judges are typically very conservative when it comes to granting modification requests. The reason for this isn’t that judges don’t like change what they have previously ruled on but have more to do with maintaining consistency and stability in the life of your child. If it has been shown that your child has adjusted to their life as it is, then a proposed change must need to benefit your child regarding their daily life. It is not enough to state that the proposed modification is good or bad. You must be able to show that not only is the proposed amendment good, but it is in that child’s best interests.
A judge would hear evidence from both parents in a hearing regarding the modification request. After that hearing, the judge would be able to issue a ruling on whether or not substantial material change has occurred and whether the proposed modification is in the best interest of your child. Their verdict will consider the circumstances of your case and allow for counterevidence to be heard by the responding parent.
What happens in many modification cases is that the parent who files the modification case and the parent who responds to the modification case will attend mediation and arrive at their issues. This means that a middle ground will be struck that helps the filing parent bill feel that their problems are being addressed while the responding parent does not have to go to a trial only to have a judge rule entirely against their wishes. So, I would tell you that you are less likely to have a judge rule in your case than you would have a mediator help you and your co-parent to settle your claim.
How health issues can influence a modification case in Texas
The reality is that for a modification case to be approved by a judge, the health circumstances in question will need to be expected to last for a somewhat extended period to be approved, in my opinion. This means that temporary concerns over the coronavirus pandemic will likely not be grounds for approval of a modification request. However, I can envision a scenario where a parent and child have to facilitate Visitation via international or long domestic travel in an airplane that may present problems for the near future because of the coronavirus.
I am envisioning a scenario where flying domestically or internationally becomes so tedious and cumbersome because of requirements that the airlines and individual nations are implementing that it is no longer feasible for your child to travel by him or herself safely. A person would only need to watch the news to check in to various health terminals at airports to verify your recent history of travel to combat spreading the virus. While it could be argued that people’s hearts are in the right place and their intent is only to protect the public, I think it is possible that parents will not want their children to travel abroad if they have to provide private health information so.
On top of that, some airlines may not even allow children to travel by themselves due to an inability to check into flights properly. Of course, I am speculating since we have no real idea of what restrictions and changes will occur with flying due to the coronavirus shortly. Taking a glass half complete approach to the question, it is possible that with the passage of time and the possible creation of a vaccine momentarily, the coronavirus may drift to the back of our minds and be no more of an issue than the common cold. However, only time will tell, and for now, we have to consider the immediate and long-term effects of the virus on custody determinations.
So, if you file a modification request to prevent your child from having to travel internationally by him or herself, then a judge would need to consider whether a material change in circumstances has occurred for your family. I would argue that if she’s traveling abroad via airplane persist, some judges would believe that the health concerns and overall unpleasant nature of international travel may lend itself to believing that material or substantial change has occurred.
Of course, the second part of this equation is whether or not the proposed modification is in the best interest of your child. If the proposed change means that your child will not spend as much time with their other parents due to travel problems, then I believe that your modification court request would not be granted. However, I could see some middle ground being struck where your child could travel with an adult or do so during times of the year where it is less likely that the coronavirus will be as prevalent.
Again, I am entirely speculating on this front. I have no specialized knowledge of the virus, and I am not predicting the pandemic’s future. I am trying to illustrate how the current environment regarding our day’s most critical health issue may impact child custody modification cases in the future. The most crucial difference between the coronavirus pandemic and individual health concerns for your family is that the coronavirus, hopefully, will be a temporary and unwanted guest in our lives.
If your family is facing health concerns that are expected to be more permanent, then any proposed modifications to your child custody order may be more likely to be granted. For instance, if your child has suffered some disabling injury where they cannot travel frequently, then a custody schedule that allows them to remain with one parent for longer periods may be warranted. This would not limit either parent as far as time is concerned but would allow both parents to be able to spend time with your child while not burdening him or her with frequent travel back and forth in between homes.
Finally, if it becomes crucial for you to take the lead on making decisions for your child regarding health or education, then that may be a consideration your family needs to make. Sharing rights and duties about your child are typical for joint managing conservators. Still, the reality is that special care may be necessary for your child if they suffer from health problems. If it is unreasonable for you and your co-parent to confer on every decision regarding their lives and one of you is better equipped to make decisions, then a modification may be warranted.
Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
if you have any questions about the material in today’s blog post; please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free of charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. Thank you for joining us today on our blog, and we hope to see you again tomorrow as we continue to share unique content about the world of Texas family law.
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Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC | Houston, Texas Child Custody Lawyers
The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, routinely handles matters that affect children and families. If you have questions regarding child custody, it’s essential to speak with one of our Houston, TX, child custody lawyers right away to protect your rights.
Our child custody lawyers in Houston, TX, are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and developing a strategy to meet those goals. Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online form. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, handles child custody cases in Houston, Texas, Cypress, Klein, Humble, Kingwood, Tomball, The Woodlands, Houston, the FM 1960 area, or surrounding areas, including Harris County, Montgomery County, Liberty County, Chambers County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
