If you already have a parenting time order, this resource may not address your current order and is not intended to interpret your rights and responsibilities under your existing order. This is an information-only resource that describes the possession schedule under the standard possession order.
A parenting time schedule provides parents with the guide they need to navigate co-parenting. It addresses exchange times, weekday and weekend visits, holidays, your child’s birthday, spring and summer break, and many other important events in your child’s life. The standard possession order options available to parents can change based on how far you live from one another. These standard possession order options are provided to the noncustodial parent to choose from at the time the order is being completed unless the court finds a selection is not in the best interest of the child. If the noncustodial parent does not make a selection, also known as an “election”, then the “default” schedule terms may be placed in your order.
The following information summarizes the “default” and “election” schedules for a standard possession order that may be available to you or the other parent at the time the order is being completed. The term “school” refers to the elementary or secondary school in which the child is enrolled. If the child is not enrolled in an elementary or secondary school, “school” refers to the public school district in which the child primarily resides. (TFC § 153.3101)
How far apart do you and your co-parent live?
