Child Custody Laws in Maryland are an extremely important consideration for parents seeking child custody. Courts in Maryland require parents to come up with a custody agreement or what is otherwise known as a parenting plan when petitioning the courts for legal guardianship or visitation rights.
In accordance with Child Custody Laws in Maryland, the needs of the child should be a glaring priority for parents filing court papers for the custody of children. The parenting plan explains how each parent plans to take care of the child separately. It details the extent to which each parent intends to be involved in the upbringing of a child as well as how they plan to involve the other parent in the life of the child.
When drawing up a parenting agreement, parents need to know as much as they can about the Maryland child custody laws. This information is easily available and can be found in chapters 5 and 9 of the Family Law section of the Maryland code about divorce and custody.
The regulations include amongst others:
That custody can either be awarded jointly or solely to one parent;
According to the Child Custody Laws in Maryland no one parent is considered superior based on gender;
A child who is sixteen years or older can petition the courts for custody rulings to be changed or for the court to intervene on behalf of siblings who might have been removed in a previous custody arrangement;
The court has the right to limit or bar visitation of one parent if it is determined that the children would in any way be in danger or be exposed to dangerous situations
Maryland child custody laws will not work in favor of any parent with a past history of neglect or abuse;
Most of all, if the child is 16 and mature enough to know what their basic rights are and what he/she is entitled to, he/she will be given a chance to voice their opinion on the matter
The Maryland child custody laws do not presume that any parent will be the best choice based on gender, moral beliefs, religion or even economic standing. Maryland child custody laws are meant to protect the interest of the child and recognize the importance of having both sets of parents in a child’s life. The parent who has historically shouldered most of the responsibilities will have a better chance of proving to the courts her/ his qualification based on that history. These responsibilities might not necessarily have anything to do with financial support as some parents tend to have this belief that what makes them a better parent is their ability to bring in more money into the family unit. There is a balance that edicts in child custody laws in Maryland and that is to try to broker between financial roles and nurturing roles.
The State itself does not have a specific enforceable template to be used for parenting agreements. The parenting plan is basic and allows for quite a bit of flexibility. There are no hard and fast rules, just a generic template that can be customized and expanded. Click here to find out more about a parenting plan template. Knowing the child custody guidelines and understanding the child custody laws in Maryland will see you at a distinct advantage when preparing your child custody case.