Most people assume they know what child custody means when it really means different things to different people. Texas law does not use the term “custody.” Instead, legal documents refer to “conservatorship.” Even with Joint Conservatorship, the options vary. Basically, there is no single definition of “child custody.”
It is extremely rare that a parent is given the authority to keep the children from the other parent completely. In some instances, one parent is given authority to make all decisions regarding the children and to decide where they will live. In others, the parents are required to live close to each other and the right to make decisions is shared. Most cases involve some variation between those positions.