A parent can ask a Texas court to enforce a possession order when the other parent denies court-ordered parenting time, refuses to follow the schedule or repeatedly fails to comply with the order’s exchange terms. In Fort Worth custody disputes, the court may order make-up time, fines or other remedies, but the possession order and the evidence both need to be specific.
The order must be specific enough to enforce
A judge cannot enforce a vague parenting schedule. The order needs exact dates, times and exchange terms so the court can compare what the order required with what the other parent actually did. If the wording is too general, a motion to enforce becomes harder.
Texas rules for enforcing possession orders make it clear that the court must be able to match the written order to the violation being alleged.
Documented evidence can support an enforcement case
A parent who asks for enforcement usually needs documented evidence, not just a general sense that the other parent is not cooperating. The court often looks for details showing what the order required, what happened instead and when each violation occurred.
Useful documentation may include:
- The signed possession order
- Messages or emails about missed exchanges
- Calendars or logs showing denied visits or missed exchanges
- Witness statements
- Notes about pickup locations, times and failed drop-offs
The court may deny relief if the parent does not document the violations well.
Organized records can help the court order a remedy
A motion to enforce may lead to make-up possession, fines or other remedies allowed by Texas law. Well-documented evidence of violations often shapes custody enforcement disputes before the court decides what remedy to order. A family law attorney can organize the evidence, match it to the order’s language and request the specific relief – including make-up possession, fines or both – that the documented violations support.
