Standard Possession Schedule-What is it?

A key part of any custody order is the possession schedule. Understanding it is the key to understanding when you have the right to have possession of your children and when you don’t.

 

In Texas, Family Code Section 153.312 specifies what the Standard Possession Schedule is.

 

By law, the Standard Possession Schedule (also known as the SPO) sets out the minimum amount of time that is presumed to be reasonable for a fit parent to have with his or her children. Meaning that unless evidence is introduced proving why it would not be in the Best Interest of the Children to spend at least that much time with a parent, a judge must give a parent at least that much time. 

 

At the outset of virtually any possession schedule, whether it is an SPO, Modified SPO, or something else, you will find a statement that “the parties may have possession of the child at times mutually agreed to in advance by the parties.”

 

If the parties don’t agree on something different, then the terms of the possession schedule in the order control. The basics of the Standard Possession Schedule for the non-primary parent – when the parties live within 100 miles of each other – are this:

 

1. First, Third, and Fifth Weekends.

 

In an SPO, the non-primary parent has the right to have possession of the children on each of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends, from 6:00 p.m. on Friday until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The number of the weekend in a month is determined by the Friday. So the 1st Friday of the month starts the 1st weekend of the month. There are usually only four 5th Weekends per year, and often two of them get “trumped” by holiday or summer schedules.

 

2. Every Thursday evening, during the school year.

 

It is critical to note that the Thursdays are only during the school year, even if the child does not attend school. In that case, the calendar of the school in which the child primarily resides is used for the dates of the beginning and ending of the Thursday night possessions. In the SPO, the times for the Thursday evening are 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

3. Every other Thanksgiving and Spring Break.

 

The parents alternate the Thanksgiving Breaks and the Spring Breaks each year. In the past, some schools only allowed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off for Thanksgiving, but now most schools appear to take off an entire week. Regardless of the length, the parent that has the children for Thanksgiving gets them for the entire time that they are out of school, per the SPO.

 

4. Christmas Break alternates 1st part and 2nd part.

 

Under the SPO, Christmas break is divided into two parts. The first part is from the time school is out until noon on December 28th, and the second part is from noon on the 28th until school starts again. In years past, the SPO provided the dividing line on December 26th. Regardless, one parent gets the 1st part in even-numbered years, and the 2nd part in odd-numbered years and vice versa.

 

5. Summer Break.

 

In the summer, the SPO provides that the non-primary parent keeps his or her weekends – subject to some other rules – loses their Thursdays, but gains an extra 30 days. The 30 days have to be exercised in no more than two groups of no less than seven days each. If the non-primary parent fails to give notice of what days he or she wants the children for the summer, there is a default provision, which is basically all of July.

 

Keep in mind that there is a lot more to it than this. And the terms talked about above do not include the Expanded or Extended provisions, which will be covered in a future blog post. Additionally, be aware that the Standard Possession Schedule only applies to children age three and over.