Court Orders for phone Calls, emails, and video-chat with your child
Spending time with your child is important. Everyone knows that. But when parents are not “together,” courts often have to get involved to tell each parent when they are allowed to exercise their possession time. If the parents can agree on a schedule, courts will usually approve it.
Sometimes the non-primary parent gets a standard possession schedule, as described here, and sometimes the non-primary parent gets an “expanded” standard possession schedule, as described here. Sometimes parents get something altogether different, like a week-on/week-off schedule or other 50-50 arrangement.
But, in addition to all of that, one other option that parents have to maintain a relationship with their children is through electronic communication.
In 2007, the Texas Family Code added Section 153.015, entitled Electronic Communication with Child by Conservator. The term “conservator” is used for virtually all parents of minor children that go through the court system, whether in a divorce or custody case.
The code defines electronic communication as “any communication facilitated by the use of any wired or wireless technology via the Internet or any other electronic media…[including] communication facilitated by the use of a telephone, electronic mail, instant messaging, videoconferencing, or webcam.”
Unfortunately for parents that can’t agree on the terms of the custody order and have to get the court to decide the terms for possession and access, the statute does not provide much guidance.
Per the code, if a parent is seeking Electronic Communication access, the Judge must allow evidence to be introduced concerning:
Whether electronic communication is in the best interest of the child; and
Whether equipment necessary to facilitate the electronic communication is reasonably available to all parties subject to the order.
The Code goes on to state that any court order for Electronic Access shall require both parents to:
Provide the other conservator with the e-mail address and other electronic communication access information of the child; and
Notify the other conservator of any change in the e-mail address or other electronic communication access information not later than 24 hours after the date the change takes effect.
Perhaps most interesting in the statute, the Code provides that in virtually any Electronic Access order the Judge must require the parties to:
accommodate electronic communication with the child, with the same privacy, respect, and dignity accorded all other forms of access, at a reasonable time and for a reasonable duration subject to any limitation provided by the court in the court’s order.
What exactly does that mean? It probably means whatever the judge hearing the case thinks that it means, since there is no case law defining the terms used.
So what should you do if you are in a divorce or custody case and want Electronic Access with your child?
Ask for it;
Be ready to put on evidence of why the access you seek is in the Best Interestof your child;
Be ready to put on evidence of the availability of the specific type of access you seek.
If you would like to discuss this or any other custody issues with the attorneys of the Beal Law Firm, please call us at 800.811.0380, or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com.