Child support agreement on an office table. Modify Child Support concept

Reasons to Modify Child Support in Maryland

Child support orders aren’t set in stone. Life circumstances change, and Maryland law recognizes that adjustments may be necessary to ensure that child support remains fair and appropriate for both parents and children. If you’re wondering how to… Read More
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Categories: Child Custody
Father and daughter playing with blocks - Guide to Child Custody Concept

Guide to Child Custody in Maryland

Guide to Child Custody in Maryland: What Parents Need to Know Understanding child custody in Maryland can be confusing and stressful, especially when emotions are involved. As a parent, your biggest concern is making sure your child is safe, happy, a… Read More
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Categories: Child Custody, Divorce
AA v. Ab D:  Excluding Be…

AA v. Ab D: Excluding Best Interests Evidence – Are there Limits?

What is AA v. Ab D? AA v. Ab D is a 2020 Court of Special Appeals opinion involving these important concepts in child custody cases: The court’s obligation to children when deciding child custody. Children’s rights to have their best interests fu… Read More
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Demise of Contempt for Ch…

Demise of Contempt for Child Custody Orders?

November 17, 2021, and its Breona C. v. Rodney D. decision from the Court of Special Appeals, may mark the end of contempt as a meaningful tool for seeking compliance with child custody orders. The case involved a constructive civil contempt action f… Read More
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De Facto Developments 202…

De Facto Developments 2021

Since writing my series on Maryland Third Party Custody, and in particular in Consent, De Facto Parents & Multi-Parent Families, a major development occurred in July 2021. The Court of Appeals, Maryland’s highest Court, issued EN v. TR, reviewi… Read More
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What is the Future of Thi…

What is the Future of Third Party Custody?

(OR Questions (Mostly) Unanswered) Updated October 2021: This series discusses: What is Third Party Custody? What’s a De Facto Parent? Exceptional Circumstances Unfit Parents Participating as a Third Party in a Custody Case Step-Parents De Fact… Read More
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What About Grandparent Vi…

What About Grandparent Visitation Rights? (Sigh.)

“Parents and grandparents do not stand on the same legal footing with respect to visitation.” Brandenburg v. LaBarre, 193 Md.App. 178 (2010). Third party custody is one of the fastest developing areas of Maryland law, seeing many major changes si… Read More
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Maryland Third Party Cust…

Maryland Third Party Custody – What is third party custody?

Third party custody is one of the fastest developing areas of Maryland law, seeing many major changes since 2016. This series of articles explores these developments and raises questions about where this area of the law is heading. This series discus… Read More
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COVID's Impact on Familie…

COVID's Impact on Families

If you’re wondering why there’s no discussion of COVID on my site, that’s because what I’ve written on this topic appears on my firm’s – Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s – website. Well, look no further… Here’s a quick index so… Read More
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Maryland Child Support Gu…

Maryland Child Support Guidelines Updates – Combined Income of $15,001-$30,000/month 2022

UPDATE: During the 2021 Session, the Maryland General Assembly changed the effective date of this law change from October 1, 2021 (as originally passed in the 2020 Session) to July 1, 2022. 2022 will see 5 major changes to the child support guideline… Read More
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