What is managing conservatorship?

In Texas, there is a rebuttable presumption that parents should serve as the Joint Managing Conservators of their children (see above). In Texas, “Conservatorship” is the equivalent of “Custody” of the children. Those two terms are not identical in meaning. “Conservatorship” recognizes that parents have duties to care for their children rather than merely the right to temporarily “own” them, such as with property.

The right to Joint Managing Conservatorship does not mean that each party will have the children one-half of the time. It also does not mean that child support will not be awarded to one parent. Joint Managing Conservatorship does mean that the parents will either share, allocate, or apportion parental rights and duties. In most cases, it also means that the child’s domicile must be established in the final Court orders, so that each parent will be able to be involved in the children’s lives. “Possession and access” speaks to when each parent has the right to visit with and spend time with children from the marriage.