Odenton, MD Child Custody Attorneys

Caring Custody Lawyers Serving Parents in Odenton, Maryland

Advocating for your parental rights is not always easy. Sometimes, it can feel like you are trying to convince the court of your fitness to raise your child. During these fraught cases, it can help to have a legal representative at your side. An Odenton, MD child custody lawyer can support you with aggressive counsel and qualified legal advice.

At Zide Law Group, LLC, we know just how important a court arrangement of child custody can be. When you work with our legal professionals, we will take the time to understand your family situation and work toward a solution that reinforces the bond between you and your child.

What Does Parenting Time Mean?

In a custody arrangement, parenting time refers to the schedule of physical custody that each parent has with the child. In many cases, both parents can share parenting time in a 50/50 split, with the child spending equal time at each parent's residence throughout the year.

There are many other ways to split up parenting time. As an example, one parent may have primary rights to physical custody so that the child lives with them for most of or all of the year, while the other parent still gets to see them on a regular basis. This right of the non-custodial parent to see the child is known as visitation, and it can be flexible or highly structured depending on the family.

If a non-custodial parent is judged to be a risk to the child's safety, the court might only allow visitation under close supervision by another trusted adult. In more extreme instances, the non-custodial parent could be denied visitation altogether.

What Is Decision-Making Responsibility?

Parenting time is not the only important area of custody. A custody arrangement must also include provisions for decision-making responsibility, also referred to as legal custody. A parent with decision-making responsibility can make choices about the child's religious upbringing, education, discipline, and extracurricular activities.

Parents can easily share joint decision-making responsibility. However, an agreement of shared legal custody must also include terms for resolving disagreements. This might involve giving both parents equal say on all issues, with each parent having tiebreaking authority on disputes, or giving each parent exclusive rights to make decisions about certain areas.

Having input in your child's life is crucial for exercising your parental rights. At Zide Law Group, LLC, our lawyers can help you draft a parenting plan that clearly lays out how decision-making responsibility should be divided. We can then present this parenting plan to the court, making a case to the judge for your preferred resolution.

Who Else Can Get Custody Rights?

In general, the courts recognize and respect the authority of parents in custody disputes. Third parties cannot petition for custody rights without a strong justification, which often means proving that the parents are unfit to take care of the child.

However, a third party may have an avenue to petition for custody or visitation if they have acted as a de factoparent. To meet the criteria of being a de factoparent, the third party must show that:

• They have established a strong parental bond with the child over time
• They stepped in to fulfill parental responsibilities for the child without any expectation of financial compensation
• They lived with the child in the same residence
• The child's parents approved the third party's relationship with the child

At Zide Law Group, LLC, we can represent you in a hearing involving third-party custody, advocating for your child's best interests.

Meet With an Odenton Child Custody Lawyer Today

At Zide Law Group, LLC, our Odenton, MD custody attorneys represent parents and legal guardians in a variety of family law issues. Call us at 410-760-9433 or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation.