Prosper Child Custody Lawyer

Custody Help Close to Home in Prosper

When your relationship with your children's other parent changes, your first questions are usually about the kids. Pfister Family Law helps Prosper parents answer them from our office at 291 South Preston Rd, Suite 140, open by appointment. We represent mothers and fathers in custody cases during a divorce, between unmarried parents, and in modifications years after an order is signed. Call 972-712-6700 to set up a meeting.

Growing Schools, Changing Zones

Prosper ISD has opened new campuses as the town has grown, and attendance boundaries can change when new schools open. For separating parents, that turns a simple question, where will the child live, into a bigger one, which school will the child attend. The parent with the right to designate the child's primary residence often decides that. Courts frequently attach a geographic restriction to that right, such as limiting the residence to a county or a school district. Drafting that restriction with Prosper's growth in mind can prevent a fight two years from now.

How Texas Handles Custody

Texas law speaks in terms of conservatorship and possession. Conservatorship covers who makes decisions about education, medical care and other major issues. Possession and access covers the calendar. Parents are often named joint managing conservators, but rights can be divided in many ways, and the court's guiding standard is always the best interest of the child. We explain where you stand and what you can realistically ask for. See our child custody page and our best interests of the child article.

Schedules That Fit Prosper Families

Prosper parents often split time between long commutes south on Preston Road or the Tollway, youth sports, church and family activities, and children whose schools may be across town from one parent. The standard possession order is a default, and parents can agree to something that fits their family better, such as an alternating weekly schedule or adjusted exchange times. When parents live farther apart, different schedule rules may apply. We help you design a plan the court will approve and that your family can actually live with.

Two Counties, One Town

Prosper is in both Collin and Denton County. The court that first issued your custody orders usually keeps the case, so a later modification often returns there even if you moved across the county line. We confirm the right court before filing.

Support, Modifications and Enforcement

Custody and child support usually travel together. Texas guidelines calculate support from the paying parent's net resources, and medical and dental support are part of every order. When a parent's job changes, a child's needs change or a schedule stops working, an order can be modified if there has been a material and substantial change and the change serves the child. When the other parent will not follow the order, we can ask the court to enforce it. See our modifications, enforcement and child support pages, and our article on modifying custody or support orders.

Unmarried Parents

If you and your child's other parent were never married, custody and support start with establishing legal parentage. Once paternity is established, the court can enter conservatorship, possession and support orders just as it would in a divorce.

Your Legal Team

John J. Pfister Jr., the firm's founder, is board-certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Jacob Jeffries is also board-certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Associate attorney Dakota Mayr works with them on custody matters for families across northern Collin County.

Talk With a Prosper Child Custody Lawyer

Call 972-712-6700 to schedule a confidential consultation at our Prosper office, at our Frisco office or by video. If a divorce is part of the picture, visit our Prosper divorce attorney page.