Presiding over custody cases, Texas judges often must take factors of substance abuse into consideration. While family courts tend to take a negative view of parents that have a history of intoxicants and addiction, the relationship with the parent is considered to be of critical importance to the child that it will be preserved whenever possible. Parent that can show themselves to be a reliable and reasonable custodian, the court will be more likely to trust them with their own children whenever possible. Although, this does not mean that the court won’t take steps verifying the parent’s reliability and to review their behavior.

In Texas, the right of a parent to be a part of their child’s life is considered to be in the best interests of the child. Addiction and substance abuse may not be enough by itself to make a court preclude this, although it will often make them place conditions on custody. Results including supervised visitation, mandatory drug testing, counseling and and restrictions on which activities can include the children are all possible restrictions that the family court could impose.

Texas child custody courts views the welfare of the child to be the primary concern, not the feelings of the parents for each other. If there is anything that can be done to preserve the helpful presence of a parent in a child’s life, even if that parent has serious substance or addiction issues, then the court will often try to do it. As assumed, arrangements may also change if the parent manages to get past their difficulties and apply themselves to their responsibilities.

Those that find themselves in a custody dispute in Texas may want to obtain the assistance of an attorney who has family law experience. In some cases, negotiating a custody agreement can help to avoid conflict that can often otherwise spill over and affect the child.