SUBCHAPTER F. STANDARD POSSESSION ORDER

§ 153.311. MUTUAL AGREEMENT OR SPECIFIED TERMS FOR POSSESSION. The court shall specify in a standard possession order that the parties may have possession of the child at times mutually agreed to in advance by the parties and, in the absence of mutual agreement, shall have possession of the child under the specified terms set out in the standard order.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.

§ 153.312. PARENTS WHO RESIDE 100 MILES OR LESS APART.

        1. If the possessory conservator resides 100 miles or less from the primary residence of the child, the possessory conservator shall have the right to possession of the child as follows:
                  1. on weekends throughout the year beginning at 6 p.m. on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month and ending at 6 p.m. on the following Sunday except that, at the possessory conservator's election made before or at the time of the rendition of the original or modification order, and as specified in the original or modification order, the weekend periods of possession specified by this subdivision that occur during the regular school term shall begin at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed and end at 6 p.m. on the following Sunday; and
                2. on Thursdays of each week during the regular school term beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m., or, at the possessory conservator's election made before or at the time of the rendition of the original or modification order, and as specified in the original or modification order, beginning at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed and ending at the time the child's school resumes, unless the court finds that visitation under this subdivision is not in the best interest of the child.
        2. The following provisions govern possession of the child for vacations and certain specific holidays and supersede conflicting weekend or Thursday periods of possession. The possessory conservator and the managing conservator shall have rights of possession of the child as follows:
        1. the possessory conservator shall have possession in even-numbered years, beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is dismissed from school for the school's spring vacation and ending at 6 p.m. on the day before school resumes after that vacation, and the managing conservator shall have possession for the same period in odd-numbered years;
         2. if a possessory conservator:
                1. gives the managing conservator written notice by April 1 of each year specifying an extended period or periods of summer possession, the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child for 30 days beginning not earlier than the day after the child's school is dismissed for the summer vacation and ending not later than seven days before school resumes at the end of the summer vacation, to be exercised in not more than two separate periods of at least seven consecutive days each; or
                2. does not give the managing conservator written notice by April 1 of each year specifying an extended period or periods of summer possession, the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child for 30 consecutive days beginning at 6 p.m. on July 1 and ending at 6 p.m. on July 31;
        3. if the managing conservator gives the possessory conservator                     written notice by April 15 of each year, the managing conservator                 shall have possession of the child on any one weekend beginning                 Friday at 6 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m. on the following Sunday                       during one period of possession by the possessory conservator                     under Subdivision (2), provided that the managing conservator                     picks up the child from the possessory conservator and returns the             child to that same place; and
        4. if the managing conservator gives the possessory conservator                     written notice by April 15 of each year or gives the possessory                       conservator 14 days' written notice on or after April 16 of each year,             the managing conservator may designate one weekend beginning               not earlier than the day after the child's school is dismissed for the               summer vacation and ending not later than seven days before                       school resumes at the end of the summer vacation, during which                 an otherwise scheduled weekend period of possession by the                       possessory conservator will not take place, provided that the                         weekend designated does not interfere with the possessory                           conservator's period or periods of extended summer possession or               with Father's Day if the possessory conservator is the father of the               child.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.
Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 802, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 236, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999;
Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1036, § 13, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 916, § 12, eff. June 18, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1041, § 2, eff. June 15, 2007.

§ 153.313. PARENTS WHO RESIDE OVER 100 MILES APART. If the possessory conservator resides more than 100 miles from the residence of the child, the possessory conservator shall have the right to possession of the child as follows:
        1. either regular weekend possession beginning on the first, third, and              fifth Friday as provided under the terms applicable to parents who                reside 100 miles or less apart or not more than one weekend per                    month of the possessory conservator's choice beginning at 6 p.m.                on the day school recesses for the weekend and ending at 6 p.m. on            the day before school resumes after the weekend, provided that the            possessory conservator gives the managing conservator 14 days'                  written or telephonic notice preceding a designated weekend, and                provided that the possessory conservator elects an option for this                alternative period of possession by written notice given to the                      managing conservator within 90 days after the parties begin to                    reside more than 100 miles apart, as applicable;
        2. each year beginning on the day the child is dismissed from school               for the school's spring vacation and ending at 6 p.m. on the day                   before school resumes after that vacation;
        3. if the possessory conservator:
                1. gives the managing conservator written notice by April 1 of                             each year specifying an extended period or periods of summer                     possession, the possessory conservator shall have possession                       of the child for 42 days beginning not earlier than the day after                     the child's school is dismissed for the summer vacation and                           ending not later than seven days before school resumes at the                     end of the summer vacation, to be exercised in not more than                       two separate periods of at least seven consecutive days each;                       or
                2. does not give the managing conservator written notice by April                     1 of each year specifying an extended period or periods of                             summer possession, the possessory conservator shall have                           possession of the child for 42 consecutive days beginning at 6                     p.m. on June 15 and ending at 6 p.m. on July 27;
                4. if the managing conservator gives the possessory conservator                     written notice by April 15 of each year the managing                                       conservator shall have possession of the child on one weekend                     beginning Friday at 6 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m. on the                                     following Sunday during one period of possession by the                               possessory conservator under Subdivision (3), provided that if                       a period of possession by the possessory conservator exceeds                     30 days, the managing conservator may have possession of                         the child under the terms of this subdivision on two                                         nonconsecutive weekends during that time period, and further                     provided that the managing conservator picks up the child                             from the possessory conservator and returns the child to that                       same place; and
                5. if the managing conservator gives the possessory conservator                     written notice by April 15 of each year, the managing                                       conservator may designate 21 days beginning not earlier than                       the day after the child's school is dismissed for the summer                           vacation and ending not later than seven days before school                         resumes at the end of the summer vacation, to be exercised in                     not more than two separate periods of at least seven                                       consecutive days each, during which the possessory                                       conservator may not have possession of the child, provided                           that the period or periods so designated do not interfere with                         the possessory conservator's period or periods of extended                           summer possession or with Father's Day if the possessory                             conservator is the father of the child.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.
Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 751, § 36, eff. Sept. 1,
1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 236, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

§ 153.314. HOLIDAY POSSESSION UNAFFECTED BY DISTANCE PARENTS RESIDE APART. The following provisions govern possession of the child for certain specific holidays and supersede conflicting weekend or Thursday periods of possession without regard to the distance the parents reside apart. The possessory conservator and the managing conservator shall have rights of possession of the child as follows:
         1. the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in                   even-numbered years beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is                 dismissed from school for the Christmas school vacation and                         ending at noon on December 28, and the managing conservator                   shall have possession for the same period in odd-numbered years;
        2. the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in                   odd-numbered years beginning at noon on December 28 and                       ending at 6 p.m. on the day before school resumes after that                         vacation, and the managing conservator shall have possession for               the same period in even-numbered years;
        3. the possessory conservator shall have possession of the child in                   odd-numbered years, beginning at 6 p.m. on the day the child is                   dismissed from school before Thanksgiving and ending at 6 p.m. on             the following Sunday, and the managing conservator shall have                     possession for the same period in even-numbered years;
        4. the parent not otherwise entitled under this standard order to                       present possession of a child on the child's birthday shall have                     possession of the child beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. on             that day, provided that the parent picks up the child from the                         residence of the conservator entitled to possession and returns the             child to that same place;
        5. if a conservator, the father shall have possession of the child                         beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday preceding Father's Day and                         ending on Father's Day at 6 p.m., provided that, if he is not                             otherwise entitled under this standard order to present possession               of the child, he picks up the child from the residence of the                           conservator entitled to possession and returns the child to that                     same place; and
        6. if a conservator, the mother shall have possession of the child                       beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday preceding Mother's Day and                       ending on Mother's Day at 6 p.m., provided that, if she is not                           otherwise entitled under this standard order to present possession               of the child, she picks up the child from the residence of the                         conservator entitled to possession and returns the child to that                     same place.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.
Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1036, § 14, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1041, § 3, eff. June 15, 2007.
§ 153.315. WEEKEND POSSESSION EXTENDED BY HOLIDAY.

        1. If a weekend period of possession of the possessory conservator                  coincides with a school holiday during the regular school term or                  with a federal, state, or local holiday during the summer months in                which school is not in session, the weekend possession shall end at            6 p.m. on a Monday holiday or school holiday or shall begin at 6 p.m.            Thursday for a Friday holiday or school holiday, as applicable.
        2. At the possessory conservator's election, made before or at the                     time of the rendition of the original or modification order, and as                   specified in the original or modification order, periods of possession             extended by a holiday may begin at the time the child's school is                   regularly dismissed.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.

§ 153.316. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. The court shall order the following general terms and conditions of possession of a child to apply without regard to the distance between the residence of a parent and the child:
        1. the managing conservator shall surrender the child to the                               possessory conservator at the beginning of each period of the                       possessory conservator's possession at the residence of the                         managing conservator;
        2. if the possessory conservator elects to begin a period of possession             at the time the child's school is regularly dismissed, the managing               conservator shall surrender the child to the possessory conservator             at the beginning of each period of possession at the school in                       which the child is enrolled;
        3. the possessory conservator shall be ordered to do one of the                         following:
                1. the possessory conservator shall surrender the child to the                             managing conservator at the end of each period of possession                     at the residence of the possessory conservator; or
                2. the possessory conservator shall return the child to the                                   residence of the managing conservator at the end of each                             period of possession, except that the order shall provide that                         the possessory conservator shall surrender the child to the                           managing conservator at the end of each period of possession                     at the residence of the possessory conservator if:
                          1. at the time the original order or a modification of an order                              establishing terms and conditions of possession or access                              the possessory conservator and the managing                                                  conservator lived in the same county, the possessory                                      conservator's county of residence remains the same after                              the rendition of the order, and the managing                                                      conservator's county of residence changes, effective on                                  the date of the change of residence by the managing                                      conservator; or
                         2. the possessory conservator and managing conservator                                  lived in the same residence at any time during a six-                                        month period preceding the date on which a suit for                                        dissolution of the marriage was filed and the possessory                                conservator's county of residence remains the same and                                the managing conservator's county of residence changes                              after they no longer live in the same residence, effective                                on the date the order is rendered;
4. if the possessory conservator elects to end a period of possession at the     time the child's school resumes, the possessory conservator shall                 surrender the child to the managing conservator at the end of each             period of possession at the school in which the child is enrolled;
5. each conservator shall return with the child the personal effects that the     child brought at the beginning of the period of possession;
6. either parent may designate a competent adult to pick up and return the     child, as applicable; a parent or a designated competent adult shall be present when the child is picked up or returned;
7. a parent shall give notice to the person in possession of the child on             each occasion that the parent will be unable to exercise that parent's           right of possession for a specified period;
8. written notice shall be deemed to have been timely made if received or       postmarked before or at the time that notice is due; and
9. if a conservator's time of possession of a child ends at the time school         resumes and for any reason the child is not or will not be returned to           school, the conservator in possession of the child shall immediately             notify the school and the other conservator that the child will not be or       has not been returned to school.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.
Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 751, § 37, eff. Sept. 1,
1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 9, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.