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Grandparents visitation and access to grandchildren in Texas

Grandparents know that if mom or dad says no, ask grandma or grandpa. The importance of grandparents in the lives of young children is unquestionable. They are wise and perfect in the eyes of our children. They are excellent baby sitters, chefs and will take you to see all the sights.

In some families affected by divorce and other complications in life, grandparents can take on more of a caretaker role. While grandparents often get involved on an informal and voluntary basis, there are other times that Texas courts are involved in grandparents and their ability to have court-ordered visitation, also known in Texas as possession and access.

What is Troxel v. Granville?

The U.S. Supreme Court held in the year 2000 that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children. The Court: "The interest of parents in the care, custody and control of their children—is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by this Court.[i]"

The parents’ fundamental right limits a court’s authority to order grandparent visitation, possession and access where the parents object and have sole rights to raise their children. While grandparents themselves do not have a fundamental right to raising grandchildren, state courts and laws giving special weight to a fit parent’s wishes.

There are often rumblings of new litigation and court cases involving these matters, but for now Troxel v. Granville stands as the law of the land. Meanwhile, in Texas there are conditions in which grandparents may obtain court-ordered possession and access.

When can Texas courts order grandparents to have visitation possession and access?

The office of the Texas Attorney General maintains a helpful “Grandparents’ Page” sharing the circumstances in which Texas law allows a court to authorize grandparent visitation.

Grandparent visitation must be in the best interest of the child, and one of the following must apply:

• “The parents divorced;
• The parent abused or neglected the child;
• The parent has been incarcerated, found incompetent, or died;
• A court-order terminated the parent-child relationship; or
• The child has lived with the grandparent for at least six months.[ii]”

Note that if the grandchild was adopted by someone other than the step-parent, a grandparent may not request visitation, possession and access.

For more thoughts or information about grandparent possession and access, call Leslie Barrows.

About Us: For more information please contact The Barrows Firm in Southlake.

If you would like more information about The Barrows Firm, P.C., please contact the firm by calling (817) 481-1583. The Barrows Firm is located at 700 East Southlake Boulevard in Southlake near the Town Square.

You can follow The Barrows Firm on social media and find important articles and resources about Texas law and how it may affect you or your family. The Barrows Firm is on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To read client endorsements and reviews of Attorney, Leslie Barrows, please visit her Avvo.com profile.

[i] Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65; 120 S. Ct. 2054, 2060 (2000).

[ii] Texas Attorney General, Senior Texans, Grandparents’ Page.

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Narcissistic personality disorder & divorce

A spouse with narcissistic personality disorder may prefer a court battle. In a recent article in Psychology Today, issues involving narcissists and divorce are highlighted to help people understand and respond appropriately to typical narcissist behavior. The article suggests you are going to court because your narcissist spouse’s, “refusal to discuss terms on any reasonable basis. Going to court and having a judge decide may actually make the narcissist more comfortable because it means he or she doesn’t have to take responsibility for the outcome, especially if it’s not favorable.[i]”

The narcissist wants to battle in court and have plenty of attention.

The narcissist wins by engaging you in a court battle. The narcissist makes it all about them. If they are the ones to start the court battle it is because they are in it to win it and they seek attention through battling you. If you cause them to respond to litigation they still win because it means they are the victim and will seek attention through others who pay attention to their pity party.

Tips on spotting and addressing narcissists in divorce:  

• Obstruction at all levels as a strategy;
• Refusing to negotiate or settle anything;
• Spending money to run up your bills;
• Taking any opportunity to make you look bad;
• Going back to court frequently, even after the divorce.

Narcissists in divorce may love playing games.

In divorce, the narcissist with money to spend on litigation can tie a divorce and custody case up for a long time if they know how to take advantage of the court system. The longer they can hold their spouse over a barrel and keep spending everyone’s time and resources, the more likely the narcissist will win by simply exhausting everyone else involved.

Experienced divorce attorneys can usually spot these situations from a mile away and will respond accordingly to protect their client from being on the wrong end of frivolous and ongoing divorce litigation. The courts can help limit a narcissist from causing a family law case from getting out of hand. This is especially important when the narcissist is not likely to stop filing things just because the original divorce case is concluded.

For more thoughts about narcissism and divorce, call Leslie Barrows.

About Us: For more information please contact The Barrows Firm in Southlake.

If you would like more information about The Barrows Firm, P.C., please contact the firm by calling (817) 481-1583. The Barrows Firm is located at 700 East Southlake Boulevard in Southlake near the Town Square.

You can follow The Barrows Firm on social media and find important articles and resources about Texas law and how it may affect you or your family. The Barrows Firm is on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To read client endorsements and reviews of Attorney, Leslie Barrows, please visit her Avvo.com profile.

[i] Psychology Today, 13 essential tips if you are divorcing  a narcissist, by Peg Strep, May 11 ,2016.

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Domestic Violence & Self-Defense

Domestic violence and self-defense are topics more openly discussed in the present day after too many years of family violence being swept under the rug. It is a good thing that more domestic violence victims have support systems and accessible court procedure to help obtain protective orders. That said, protective orders and support will not stop a violent aggressor who does not care about following rules and laws.

Just last week in an episode of Fox Television’s drama, “911,” the former spouse of a domestic violence victim sought out to do harm and stab to death a person who helped his ex-wife get away from him in a family violence scenario. If someone really wants to do harm, they can. Being prepared to defend yourself from an attack is your best defense.

Escaping Domestic Violence

To escape domestic violence is to escape the abuse and control of another. A common component in abusers is their obsession with control. In many cases we see abusers move them and their spouse away from family, friends and support systems that the abuser cannot control. What the abuser can control is their spouse’s access to other people, places and the money necessary to live from day to day.

While some domestic violence victims go into hiding, some escape in plain sight and their abuser knows right where they are. There is no right or wrong way to escape domestic violence and like every marriage is unique, so is the fallout in every domestic violence situation. Some say attempting to hide and conceal one’s new location and access thereto can make an already angry controlling person outraged, and in that sense, hiding in plain sight might help de-escalate some situations. Note that if your abuser knows how and when to find you, being prepared to defend yourself is wise.

Women’s Self-Defense Classes

In women’s self-defense classes, instructors commonly mention that one does not need to carry a weapon to defend themselves if they are trained in proper self-defense. Knowing how to fight back if attacked, and the positive emotional benefit of same can contribute to whether a victim survives an attack if their aggressor comes for them.

Remember that at the end of the day a protective order is nothing more than a piece of paper. If you are a domestic violence victim with a protective order you should call 911 if your aggressor comes for you in violation of the order. Remember, however, first responders may be several minutes away from saving you. Are you prepared to save yourself?

For more thoughts about domestic violence and self-defense, call Leslie Barrows.

About Us: For more information please contact The Barrows Firm in Southlake.

If you would like more information about The Barrows Firm, P.C., please contact the firm by calling (817) 481-1583. The Barrows Firm is located at 700 East Southlake Boulevard in Southlake near the Town Square.

You can follow The Barrows Firm on social media and find important articles and resources about Texas law and how it may affect you or your family. The Barrows Firm is on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To read client endorsements and reviews of Attorney, Leslie Barrows, please visit her Avvo.com profile.

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Leslie Barrows is accepted into CLASS – Carroll Leadership Academy for Supporting Success

Southlake, Texas – Feb. 5, 2018 – Southlake family law and juvenile law attorney, Leslie Barrows, of The Barrows Firm, P.C., is accepted into CLASS – Carroll Leadership Academy for Supporting Success for 2018

Leslie Barrows, the Southlake family law and juvenile law attorney,  is mother of three boys in the Carroll Independent School District (CISD) and was seated earlier this year as a member of the Carroll Education Foundation (CEF) Board of Trustees. The CEF raises money for programs benefiting CISD students and staff where money is not otherwise allocated in the CISD operating budget.

Recently Barrows was nominated and accepted into CLASS 2018. Ten years ago, in 2008, CLASS was formed with a vision to create the most highly informed school district community in the State of Texas. Barrows will attend the next CLASS meeting on February 27th and meet other members who are parents and citizens in the community who will learn about the organizational operation of CISD. At the February meeting the group will be introduced to CLASS and its vision as well as the core values of CISD.

The CLASS 2018 Agenda Topics:

• School Finance;
• Curriculum and Instructional Technology;
• Student Roundtable Discussions;
• CISD Board and Community Relations;
• Campus Administrator Roundtable Discussions;
• School-based Classroom Visits at Carroll Senior High School;
• The Role of the Board of Trustees/Carroll ISD Trustees Roundtable;
• CLASS of 2018 graduation ceremony with Board of Trustees at Carroll ISD Board Meeting.

Leslie Barrows recently stated about being nominated and accepted to CLASS 2018, “I sincerely appreciate being invited to this group and learning more about our children’s schools and environment. Together we can all share information with one another to bolster the CLASS vision of creating the best-informed school community in Texas.”

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About The Barrows Firm

The Barrows Firm is located near the Southlake Town Square at 700 East Southlake Boulevard, Suite 170 in Southlake, Texas. If you would like more information about The Barrows Firm, P.C., please contact the firm by calling (817) 481-1583.

You can follow The Barrows Firm on social media and find important articles and resources about Texas law and how it may affect you or your family. The Barrows Firm is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Avvo.com.

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Leslie Barrows Carroll Education Foundation

Southlake, Texas – Jan. 1, 2018 – Southlake family law and juvenile law attorney, Leslie Barrows, of The Barrows Firm, P.C., is a new Board of Trustees member for the Carroll Education Foundation, supporting the Carroll Independent School District.

Leslie Barrows offers good judgment and experience to the Carroll Education Foundation (CEF) and feels honored to be appointed to the Board of Trustees. “I have worked with and served as a volunteer among several local and charitable organizations here in Southlake and in Tarrant County and I look forward to working with the other new appointees and all the community leaders who are members of the Carroll Education Foundation Board,” Barrows stated. “Together we can all combine our skills and assets in continuing to support the Foundation and raise awareness of Foundation efforts and events.”

Supporting the educational programs of the Carroll Independent School District (CISD), the CEF, formed in 1996, carries forth its mission: To enrich, expand and protect excellence in education by creating and distributing resources for the benefit of the students of the Carroll Independent School District.[i]

The CEF provides funding for CISD programs and activities that are not included in the District operating budget. Student achievement and skill development is a focus of CEF funding efforts as well as highlighting staff excellence.

Barrows was appointed to the CEF Board of Trustees among five other fine community leaders, Rebecca Hindman, Tracey McDevitt, Kirran Moss, Diane Thomas and Theresa Wright. Together they join the currently seated board members, Robin Austin, Ed Brunner, Michelle Clay, Boulton Fernando, Brian Hodges, Heather Jarvis, Alec knight, Douglas Lies, Nolan Ogden, Stephanie Pennington, Chris Prokopeas, Sherri Williams and Annie Zvonecek. Additionally, new officers were appointed, Kathy Talley as Chair, John Irvine as Vice Chair, Julie Doyle as Secretary, Mary O’Toole as Treasurer, Jessica Byrne as an officer at large, and Sarah Mason as Past Chair.[ii]

Next week, January 17 is the "Kendra Gives Back" event benefiting CISD with 20 percent of your purchase when you shop at Kendra Scott in Southlake next Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.

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About The Barrows Firm

The Barrows Firm is located near the Southlake Town Square at 700 East Southlake Boulevard, Suite 170 in Southlake, Texas. If you would like more information about The Barrows Firm, P.C., please contact the firm by calling (817) 481-1583.

You can follow The Barrows Firm on social media and find important articles and resources about Texas law and how it may affect you or your family. The Barrows Firm is on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Avvo.com.

[i] Southlake Carroll Education Foundation website, About Us.

[ii] Carroll Education Foundation press release: Carroll Education Foundation Announces Six New Board Members and Five New Officers, Jan. 3, 2018.

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