Elkridge, MD Child Custody Attorneys

Knowledgeable Child Custody Attorneys Representing Clients in Elkridge, Maryland

When parents get divorced or separate from one another, it becomes their responsibility to figure out how to divide custody. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. When a disagreement about parental rights turns into a full-on dispute, having an Elkridge child custody attorney on your side can make a real difference.

With competent representation and legal advice from a lawyer, you can navigate disagreements with confidence and effectively advocate for your rights. At Zide Law Group, LLC, we can stand up for your rights as a parent and help you voice your concerns about raising your child to a court of family law.

How Is Physical Custody Divided in Maryland?

Many parents feel strongly about the division of physical custody since it affects the time they spend with their children. In some parenting arrangements, one parent may house the child and take care of them for a majority of the year while the other parent takes custody on weekends or certain days of the month. In other arrangements, the parents may share roughly equal parenting time throughout the year, with the child living at both residences.

There is no one correct way to split physical custody. In any case, however, the arrangement for parenting time should prioritize the child's best interests. When considering where the child will live, the courts may factor in the child's attachment to their community, where they will attend school, and whether there are any close family members nearby.

Also, if a parent cannot provide a safe, stable home for the child, they may be denied the right to physical custody or only permitted supervised visitation. At Zide Law Group, LLC, we can inform you of your rights as a custodial or non-custodial parent and advocate for a sustainable parenting time arrangement.

What Decisions Can I Make With Legal Custody?

Legal custody is especially important because it gives you the right to provide input in your child's life and make certain choices on their behalf. Some of these decisions include:

• Education: You can choose where a child will attend school (including public or private school), determine who the teachers will contact, and give your permission for field trips and other in-school activities.
• Healthcare: You assume responsibility for your child's health insurance, and you can give your consent to important procedures.
• Religion: You can choose whether or not you want your child to be brought up in a particular faith or religion, along with all of the associated traditions.

If you share legal custody with your co-parent, you must also include terms for how to resolve any disagreements about these decisions. At Zide Law Group, LLC, we can help you reach a sensible agreement with your co-parent to reduce the potential for future conflicts.

Third-Party Custody

In rare cases, someone other than a child's parents can petition for custody. In Maryland, this is referred to as third-party custody, and it can be extended to different people in the child's life, such as grandparents, adult siblings, or aunts and uncles.

By default, a third party has no special right to petition for custody unless they can prove that the child's parents are unfit or that there are other remarkable circumstances. However, if the third party acted as a de facto parent, meaning they performed a parental role in the child's life with the parents' permission, they could have standing to petition for custody.

At Zide Law Group, LLC, we represent clients in third-party custody disputes, whether you are seeking custody or looking to keep custody of your child.

Meet With an Elkridge, Maryland Child Custody Attorney Today

At Zide Law Group, LLC, we understand how important a custody arrangement can be to your child's upbringing. To schedule a consultation with our Elkridge child custody lawyers today, call us at 410-760-9433 or contact us online.