While possession orders (or visitation schedules) can vary considerably in the State of Texas, many are based on the State’s standard possession orders (SPOs), which amount to default parenting schedules. If you have an SPO and you are the primary custodial parent, for example, your children will likely spend a longer stretch of time with your ex this summer than they did during the school year. If you have questions or concerns that relate to child custody, an experienced Lampasas divorce attorney can help.
The Standard Possession Order
In the State of Texas, the SPO is a detailed possession calendar that spells out when the children are with each of you. In general, the parent who is not the primary custodial parent has the kids about 42 percent of the time. There is also, however, an expanded SPO that allows the parent who is not the primary custodial parent to have the kids about 48 percent of the time.
Extended Summer Possession
Extended summer possession refers to the longer stretch that the parent who is not the primary custodial parent is allowed to have with the children when they are out of school for the summer. When it comes to this extended summer possession, the parent who is not the primary custodial parent has a couple of options that include:
If he or she lives within 100 miles of you, he or she can have the children for a stretch of 30 consecutive days or for two stretches that add up to 30 days.
If he or she lives more than 100 miles from you, he or she can have the children for a stretch of up to 42 days, which can be taken in 1 stay or can be divided between 2.
The April 1 Deadline
Your children’s other parent has until April 1 to provide you with a written notice regarding the specific days he or she would like to have your shared children for his or her extended summer possession. If your ex missed this date, he or she would automatically receive the days from July 1 to July 31 as his or her extended summer possession (if he or she lives within 100 miles of you). If your ex lives more than 100 miles away from you and he or she failed to meet the scheduling deadline of April 1, he or she will automatically receive the days from June 15 to July 27 as his or her extended summer possession.