The Texas standard visitation schedule, formally called the Standard Possession Order, gives the parent who does not have primary custody the child on the first, third, and fifth weekends of each month, a Thursday evening during the school year, alternating holidays, and 30 days in the summer. The schedule is set out in Chapter 153 of the Texas Family Code and is presumed to be in the child’s best interest for children three and older.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.252 – Rebuttable Presumption2State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.251 – Policy and General Application of Guidelines for Possession Distance between the parents’ homes, the child’s age, and specific holidays all change what the calendar looks like in practice.
Which Parent Gets Which Time
Texas custody orders typically name one parent the managing conservator and the other the possessory conservator. The managing conservator decides where the child primarily lives and handles medical, educational, and legal decisions.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.132 – Rights and Duties of Parent Appointed Sole Managing Conservator The possessory conservator is the one who follows the possession calendar below. Everywhere this article refers to “your” scheduled time, it means the possessory conservator’s time.
Weekends and Thursdays During the School Year
When the parents live within 100 miles of each other, the possessory conservator has the child on the first, third, and fifth weekends of each month, from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.312 – Parents Who Reside 100 Miles or Less Apart The fifth weekend trips people up because it only happens about four times a year, but it belongs to the possessory conservator the same way the first and third do.
During the school year, there is also a Thursday evening visit each week from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.312 – Parents Who Reside 100 Miles or Less Apart A judge can drop the Thursday visit if evidence shows it isn’t in the child’s best interest, but that’s uncommon.
The Expanded Version Most Families Now Use
Most Texas orders today use the Expanded Standard Possession Order rather than the basic times above. Under the expanded schedule, weekends start when school lets out Friday instead of at 6 p.m., and the child stays until school begins Monday morning instead of returning Sunday evening. The Thursday visit becomes an overnight: pickup after school Thursday, return to school Friday morning. The result is noticeably more time and fewer awkward midweek handoffs.
The expanded schedule works most cleanly for parents within about 50 miles, but judges apply it up to 100 miles when the possessory conservator can reliably manage school transportation. If getting the child to school on time will be a problem, the court may stick with the basic times.
Holidays and Birthdays
Holiday periods override the regular weekend and Thursday calendar, no matter how far apart the parents live.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.314 – Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart If a holiday block overlaps with the other parent’s regular weekend, the holiday wins.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving alternates. The possessory conservator has the child in odd-numbered years from 6 p.m. the day school dismisses for the break until 6 p.m. the following Sunday. The managing conservator has that same window in even-numbered years.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.314 – Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart
Christmas and Winter Break
Winter break splits in two. In even-numbered years, the possessory conservator has the child from 6 p.m. on the last day of school before the break until noon on December 28, and the managing conservator takes over from noon on December 28 until 6 p.m. the day before school resumes. In odd-numbered years, those halves flip.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.314 – Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart The handoff is at noon on December 28, not Christmas Day and not December 26.
Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Birthdays
Mother’s Day always goes to the mother and Father’s Day always to the father, regardless of whose regular weekend it would be. Each holiday period runs from 6 p.m. the preceding Friday through 6 p.m. that Sunday.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.314 – Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart If the parent claiming the holiday isn’t already in possession that weekend, they handle pickup and drop-off.
On the child’s birthday, whichever parent does not otherwise have possession gets a two-hour window from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with pickup and return at the other parent’s home.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.314 – Holiday Possession Unaffected by Distance Parents Reside Apart
Summer Possession and the April 1 Deadline
The possessory conservator gets 30 days of extended summer possession with the child each year. To pick the dates, you must give the managing conservator written notice by April 1. Miss that deadline and the default period is July 1 through July 31.6Texas Law Help. Child Visitation and Possession Orders Most orders require that notice go by certified mail or a court-approved messaging platform, so keep a copy of whatever you send.
The managing conservator isn’t locked out during that month. By giving written notice by April 15, the managing conservator can claim one weekend inside the possessory conservator’s 30-day block, running Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 6 p.m., and handles all transportation for it.7State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 153.312 – Parents Who Reside 100 Miles or Less Apart
The managing conservator can also designate one weekend during the broader summer when the possessory conservator’s regularly scheduled weekend will not happen. That requires written notice by April 15, or at least 14 days’ advance notice later in the summer.7State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 153.312 – Parents Who Reside 100 Miles or Less Apart The designated weekend cannot interfere with the possessory conservator’s extended summer possession or with Father’s Day if the possessory conservator is the father.
If the Parents Live More Than 100 Miles Apart
Distance changes the schedule in three meaningful ways. First, weekends: the possessory conservator chooses between the regular first, third, and fifth weekend schedule or one weekend per month of their choosing, with at least 14 days’ written notice.8Office of the Attorney General. Over 100 Miles Apart Most long-distance parents take the one-weekend option because driving hundreds of miles every other weekend isn’t sustainable.
Second, summer possession stretches from 30 days to 42 days, with the same April 1 notice deadline. The default if no notice is given shifts to June 15 through July 27.6Texas Law Help. Child Visitation and Possession Orders Third, the long-distance parent gets spring break every year rather than alternating.8Office of the Attorney General. Over 100 Miles Apart The Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday rules do not change with distance.
Travel costs often become the hard part. Texas courts have broad discretion to split transportation expenses and generally look at which parent moved, whether travel costs are keeping the other parent from exercising their time, and each parent’s finances. Some judges offset travel costs against child support. If you’re the long-distance parent asking for help, bring documented expenses and a specific number rather than a general complaint.
If the Child Is Under Three
The Standard Possession Order is designed for children at least three years old.2State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.251 – Policy and General Application of Guidelines for Possession For younger children, courts build a customized schedule based on who has been the primary caregiver, how the child handles separations, each parent’s availability, and the child’s developmental needs.
In practice, orders for children under three usually phase in time with the possessory conservator. Shorter daytime visits come first, then longer periods, then overnights as the child grows. Once the child turns three or the court is satisfied with the transition, the order typically converts to the full Standard Possession Order. Cases that go through the Office of the Attorney General tend to use a fairly standardized phased-in template with limited customization.
When Courts Depart From the Standard Schedule
The Standard Possession Order is a presumptive starting point, not a guarantee. If a parent’s work schedule or other special circumstances make the standard calendar unworkable, the court must craft a schedule that comes as close to the standard as possible while fitting the situation.9State of Texas. Texas Family Code 153.253 – Standard Possession Order Inappropriate or Unworkable Year-round school calendars, rotating shift work, and children with medical needs are common reasons.
Safety is a different matter. If credible evidence shows a history or pattern of family violence or child neglect by a parent or someone living in that parent’s household, there is a rebuttable presumption that unsupervised visitation is not in the child’s best interest. The court can order supervised visitation at a designated facility, require exchanges in a protective setting, or require the parent to complete a treatment program before regaining unsupervised time.10State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 153.004 A parent can also be ordered to abstain from alcohol or controlled substances during a visit and in the 12 hours before it. Supervised visitation through a professional facility typically costs around $75 per hour, and that cost usually falls on the parent whose conduct triggered the restriction.
Finally, both parents can agree to modify the schedule by mutual consent without going back to court, as long as the order allows it. Many orders do. Verbal agreements tend to fall apart when the relationship sours, so put any change in writing through the court-approved messaging platform your order designates.