The following information only applies to the standard possession order in Texas. Check your order for exact times for pick up and drop off because it may be different in your order. However, here’s a general breakdown of Summer visitation and standard possession order in Texas.
Non-Custodial Parent
For the parent with visitation, summer visitation is referred to Extended Summer Possession if you have standard visitation orders in Texas. This is the thirty days that the parent with visitation or non-custodial parent (NCP) has during the summer in addition to their standard weekends throughout the other summer months.
Remember, in the summer the NCP gets normal first, third and fifth Friday weekend possessions in addition to the 30-day extended summer possession. The weekend begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and ends at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Dates to remember:
- April 1st is the deadline for the parent with visitation to designate the 30 days of visitation in the summer if your standard possession order is out of the state of Texas. If the non-custodial parent designated the days, then there is no problem. However, if the NCP did not designate a visitation schedule by the first of April then it defaults to July 1 through July 31st beginning and ending at 6 p.m.
- July 1-31st is the summer visitation schedule if the parent with visitation does not designate their visitation times by April 1
- April 15th is the deadline for the custodial parent to designate one weekend in the 30-day period of possession to have the children. The weekend begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and ends at 6 p.m. on Sunday, and the custodial parent must do all the driving to pick up and drop off. The custodial parent will lose that weekend if it’s not designated by the April 15th
Custodial Parent
During the summer, the CP gets to choose two weekends – one weekend within the 30-day period of extended summer possession with the NCP, and the other weekend takes place outside the 30-day visitation period on a weekend that would otherwise belong to the NCP.
There are a lot of variations and some exceptions to a standard possession order in Texas. It’s important to read and understand the details of your order.
