WOAI_LogoA bill making its way through the Texas state legislature would give parents equal custody of their children following a divorce.

Cordell & Cordell Regional Partner Kelly Burris recently appeared on WOAI San Antonio to explain the significance of the “50/50 custody bill.”

Men still face many gender stereotypes in family court that often result in unfair settlements. Last year, the National Parents Organization released its Shared Parenting Report Card, which revealed that across the board, most states fail to promote equal parenting time.

Cordell & Cordell Regional Partner Kelly Burris

Cordell & Cordell Regional Partner Kelly Burris

Currently, Texas allows one parent to have custody while the other is given unequal visitation rights. The bill would level the custody playing field for each parent by allowing judges to more easily grant equal time.

“It basically gives them permission to do that 50/50 outright, right off the bat instead of saying, ‘Prove to me why we should do a 50/50,’” Ms. Burris said.

If passed, Texas would join 35 other states that have similar joint physical custody laws. Research shows that equal parenting often offsets many of the negative effects of divorce.

“Sometimes they work simply because nobody has the upper hand,” Ms. Burris said. “So you have both parents having equal control of what’s going on with the kids and the time spent with the kids, and so nobody has that power to control what’s going on in the other person’s family.”

Watch the full story below.

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