Texas Codes

Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101 (2026)

Grounds For Modification Of Order Establishing Conservatorship Or Possession And Access

✓ current as of May 2026

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Sec. 156.101. GROUNDS FOR MODIFICATION OF ORDER ESTABLISHING CONSERVATORSHIP OR POSSESSION AND ACCESS. (a) The court may modify an order that provides for the appointment of a conservator of a child, that provides the terms and conditions of conservatorship, or that provides for the possession of or access to a child if modification would be in the best interest of the child and:

(1) the circumstances of the child, a conservator, or other party affected by the order have materially and substantially changed since the earlier of:

(A) the date of the rendition of the order; or

(B) the date of the signing of a mediated or collaborative law settlement agreement on which the order is based;

(2) the child is at least 12 years of age and has expressed to the court in chambers as provided by Section 153.009 the name of the person who is the child's preference to have the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child; or

(3) the conservator who has the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child has voluntarily relinquished the primary care and possession of the child to another person for at least six months.

(b) Subsection (a)(3) does not apply to a conservator who has the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child and who has temporarily relinquished the primary care and possession of the child to another person during the conservator's military deployment, military mobilization, or temporary military duty, as those terms are defined by Section 153.701.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 751, Sec. 47, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1390, Sec. 16, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1289, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1036, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 727 (S.B. 279), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1113 (H.B. 1012), Sec. 28, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1118 (H.B. 1151), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 453 cases (104 in the last 5 years), 1996–2026 · leading case: Zeifman v. Michels, 212 S.W.3d 582 (Tex. App. 2006).

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Zeifman v. Michels, 212 S.W.3d 582 (Tex. App. 2006). · cites it 6× “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 156.101. To accept Michels's interpretation of the requirement of a "material and substantial" change would render its language meaningless if age alone were sufficient in light of the parties' prior agreement.”

Blackwell v. Humble, 241 S.W.3d 707 (Tex. App. 2007). · cites it 8× “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 156.101 (West Supp. 2007).”

Keith v. Keith, 221 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App. 2006). · cites it 4× “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (1) (Vernon Supp.”

In re Lee, 411 S.W.3d 445 (Tex. 2013). · cites it 3× “See Tex. Fam.Code § 156.101. Benjamin sought the exclusive right to determine the child’s primary residence and requested modification of the terms and conditions of Stephanie’s access to and possession of the child, alleging that Stephanie’s “poor parenting decisions” had…”

In the Interest of A.L.H., 515 S.W.3d 60 (Tex. App. 2017). · cites it 2× “Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (a)(1)(A) (West 2014).”

In re M.G.N., 491 S.W.3d 386 (Tex. App. 2016). · cites it 3× “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (a) (West 2014).”

Blair v. Badenhope, 77 S.W.3d 137 (Tenn. 2002). · cites it 2× “If a nonparent rebuts the presumption in the original custody determination, the parents in a subsequent modification proceeding must meet the requirements for a change of custody set out in Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 156.101 [requiring that the modification would operate to improve…”

George v. Jeppeson, 238 S.W.3d 463 (Tex. App. 2007). · cites it 4× “” See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (1) (Vernon Supp.”

Patterson v. Brist, 236 S.W.3d 238 (Tex. App. 2006). · cites it 4× “TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. § 156.101 (Vernon 2005) (emphasis added).”

in the Interest of A.E.A., a Child, 406 S.W.3d 404 (Tex. App. 2013). · cites it 3× “101 of the Texas Family Code, a trial court may modify conservatorship of a child if (1) the modification is in the child’s best interest and (2) the circumstances of the child, a conservator, or other party affected by the existing conservatorship order have materially and…”

Bates v. Tesar, 81 S.W.3d 411 (Tex. App. 2002). · cites it 2× “134 with TEX.FAM. CODE § 156.101. A natural parent has the benefit of the parental presumption in an original proceeding, and the non-parent seeking conservatorship has a higher burden.”

Child v. Leverton, 210 S.W.3d 694 (Tex. App. 2006). · cites it 4× “TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. § 156.101 (Vernon Supp.”

Show all 453 citing cases →

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(1) — 24 cases

Keith v. Keith, 221 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App. 2006). “See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (1) (Vernon Supp.”

Zeifman v. Michels, 212 S.W.3d 582 (Tex. App. 2006). “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 156.101. To accept Michels's interpretation of the requirement of a "material and substantial" change would render its language meaningless if age alone were sufficient in light of the parties' prior agreement.”

George v. Jeppeson, 238 S.W.3d 463 (Tex. App. 2007). “” See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 156.101 (1) (Vernon Supp.”

Niskar v. Niskar, 136 S.W.3d 749 (Tex. App. 2004).

Child v. Leverton, 210 S.W.3d 694 (Tex. App. 2006). “TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. § 156.101 (Vernon Supp.”

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(1)(A) — 9 cases

in the Interest of L.C.L, a Minor Child, 396 S.W.3d 712 (Tex. App. 2013).

In the Interest of A.B.P., 291 S.W.3d 91 (Tex. App. 2009).

in the Interest of Z.N.H., a Child, 280 S.W.3d 481 (Tex. App. 2009).

In the Interest of C.C.J., 244 S.W.3d 911 (Tex. App. 2008).

In the Interest of T.W.E., 217 S.W.3d 557 (Tex. App. 2006).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(2) — 1 case

Baltzer v. Medina, 240 S.W.3d 469 (Tex. App. 2007).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(3) — 2 cases

in the Interest of M.N.G., 113 S.W.3d 27 (Tex. App. 2003).

In Re Mng, 113 S.W.3d 27 (Tex. App. 2003).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a) — 72 cases

In the Interest of J.R.P., 526 S.W.3d 770 (Tex. App. 2017).

In the Interest of T.D.C., 91 S.W.3d 865 (Tex. App. 2002).

Sotelo v. Gonzales, 170 S.W.3d 783 (Tex. App. 2005).

in the Interest of S.A.H, a Minor Child, 420 S.W.3d 911 (Tex. App. 2014).

Marca E. Mauldin v. Jerry Clements & Janet Clements, 428 S.W.3d 247 (Tex. App. 2014).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(1) — 70 cases

William Adam Flowers v. Lacey Flowers, 407 S.W.3d 452 (Tex. App. 2013).

In re Harrison, 557 S.W.3d 99 (Tex. App. 2018).

Smith v. Karanja, 546 S.W.3d 734 (Tex. App. 2018).

in the Interest of E.R.C., a Minor Child, 496 S.W.3d 270 (Tex. App. 2016).

Marca E. Mauldin v. Jerry Clements & Janet Clements, 428 S.W.3d 247 (Tex. App. 2014).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(1)(A) — 60 cases

in the Interest of P.M.G., a Child, 405 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App. 2013).

in the Interest of A.E.A., a Child, 406 S.W.3d 404 (Tex. App. 2013). “101 of the Texas Family Code, a trial court may modify conservatorship of a child if (1) the modification is in the child’s best interest and (2) the circumstances of the child, a conservator, or other party affected by the existing conservatorship order have materially and…”

Sylvia Yolanda Arredondo v. Antonio A. Betancourt, Jr., 383 S.W.3d 730 (Tex. App. 2012).

In the Interest of S.N.Z., 421 S.W.3d 899 (Tex. App. 2014).

Townsend v. Vasquez, 569 S.W.3d 796 (Tex. App. 2018).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(1)(B) — 1 case

in the Interest of S.C.S., a Child (Tex. App. 2022).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(1)(a) — 1 case

in the Interest of P.H.R., a Minor Child (Tex. App. 2014).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(3) — 4 cases

in the Interest of S.A.H, a Minor Child, 420 S.W.3d 911 (Tex. App. 2014).

in the Interest of B.J.Y., a Child (Tex. App. 2020).

In the Interest of K.D.C., a Child v. the State of Texas (2026).

in the Interest of S.L.T. & S.J.T., Child. (Tex. App. 2010).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(a)(l) — 1 case

Elizabeth M. Trammell v. Fletcher v. Trammell, Sr. (Tex. App. 2015).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(b)(2) — 2 cases

In the Interest of C.Q.T.M., 25 S.W.3d 730 (Tex. App. 2000).

In Re Cqtm, 25 S.W.3d 730 (Tex. App. 2000).

— Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101(l) — 2 cases

Bates v. Tesar, 81 S.W.3d 411 (Tex. App. 2002). “134 with TEX.FAM. CODE § 156.101. A natural parent has the benefit of the parental presumption in an original proceeding, and the non-parent seeking conservatorship has a higher burden.”

Sotelo v. Gonzales, 170 S.W.3d 783 (Tex. App. 2005).

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