There are times when parents get confused regarding which parent is entitled to possession of the children pursuant to a Texas Standard Possession Schedule. The key to eliminating the confusion is to understand how the Texas Standard Possession Schedule operates.  

Over the next several weeks, I will break down portions of the Texas Standard Possession Schedule and provide tips for understanding how it operates.

Weekend Periods of Possession:

The Texas Standard Possession Schedule states that the parent exercising possession pursuant to this schedule shall have possession of the children on the weekends as follows:           

“On weekends that occur throughout the year, beginning at 6:00 p.m., on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month and ending at 6:00 p.m. on the following Sunday.”

It is important to note that when you are determining which weekend is the first weekend of the month you should always look at Friday, not Saturday.  You look at Friday and not Saturday because Friday is the day that your weekend period of possession begins. For example, if the first day of the month falls on a Friday, then that is the first weekend of the month. However, if the first day of the month falls on a Saturday, then that is not the first weekend of the month. The following weekend would be the first weekend of that particular month. 

If you are the parent that is exercising standard possession, it is important to understand that the 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th weekends of the month are not the same thing as every other weekend. For example, if there is a month that contains a fifth weekend, then the parent exercising standard possession will have possession of the children for two consecutive weekends because the following weekend will be the first weekend of the month.

Weekday Periods of Possession:

The Texas Standard Possession Schedule states that the parent exercising possession pursuant to this schedule shall have possession of the children during the week as follows:                    

“On Thursday of each week during the regular school term, beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 8:00 p.m.”

It is important to note that the Thursday periods of possession are only exercised during the regular school term and not throughout the year as are the weekend periods of possession.         

Additionally, during the regular school term, the parent exercising standard possession is entitled to possession of the children on Thursday of every week during the regular school term.

Final tip for the week:

It is helpful to plan ahead. Take a blank calendar and mark the days and times that are “your days” with your children. Then, send a courtesy copy to the other parent months in advance. This should assist both parents with minimizing any confusion regarding which parent is entitled to possession of the children on any given day or weekend.

Next week I will discuss holiday possession pursuant to the Texas Standard Possession Schedule.