Child Custody and Visitation
In Maryland, both parents are considered to be the “joint legal custodians,” of children unless and until a court orders otherwise. This means that Maryland law starts with this assumption and only changes it when parents don’t live together for some reason (either because of divorce or because parents are not married) and when one or the other of them asks a proper court for, and gets, an order of custody that changes this status.
What does “custody” mean, anyway?
There are two parts to the custody equation:
- Legal custody — which means whether one parent or both will have the authority to make important medical, educational and religious decisions about a child; and
- Physical (or residential) custody —- which means where a child lives most of the time.
In Maryland, every single decision a court makes is based on what is known as “the best interests of the child,” standard. There are a number of factors that go into this analysis. Let’s face it, a list of factors can’t come close to what we all know already — children need two parents and the best way for them to have the best of both parents is for the grownups to cooperate. We have years of experience helping clients work out Parenting Agreements that are nearly always the best way for parents to decide how to live separately and share their children with one another.
Sadly, many parents cannot or will not put their children’s interests first. If you need help with another parent who is uncooperative, or who suffers from emotional, mental or addiction problems, we can help too. Our principal, Dawn Elaine Bowie, Esq., has a strong record of using the litigation process to help clients with difficult custody cases achieve a negotiated result. When that isn’t possible, Ms. Bowie is a strong advocate in court.
Either way, we have the experience and skill you need to help you get the best result possible for your child.