In short, at no age does a child in Maryland get to choose to live with a parent. As long as a child is under the age of 18, a child does not have a legal right to decide where or with whom he or she will live. A few laws give children rights at cert…
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Physical custody involves where a child lives, when a child spends time with each parent, and any conditions. Physical custody is also called residential custody or parenting time. It includes the schedule, holidays, and vacation time, which are ofte…
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In Maryland, child custody has two main parts: physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody involves where a child lives, when a child spends time with each parent, and any conditions. Physical custody is also called residential custody or pa…
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As with all child custody decisions, much (if not all) depends upon the trial judge deciding the case. But since 2016, Family Law Article §9-107 provides a framework for judges deciding child custody cases involving parent disability. This follows t…
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This Washington Post Perspective piece discusses issues I’ve written about before (A Parents Perspective On Nesting & Practical Considerations) but also questions the emotional aspects of nesting – for children and their parents. R…
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Family clients have many urgent concerns because family cases are complicated. But is every urgent issue an emergency in the Court’s eyes? Short answer: No. What is an emergency depends both upon the Circuit Court’s case management plan a…
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Every client wants to know what their case will cost, whether an amicable settlement or highly contested litigation. You only control your side of things – choices you and your attorney make and how you and your attorney react to choices of the…
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A recent Washington Post piece sheds light on an overshadowed aspect of divorce – the passing of a spouse during divorce. Divorce is difficult enough; a spouse’s passing during divorce exponentially more so. Because… the surviving s…
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Short Answer: Apparently not. This post follows up on my previous post about Maryland’s Failure to Increase the Minimum Age to Marry. I first wondered about this when referred a case for settlement involving a married minor. Could the minor par…
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If the parties have co-guardianship of a minor child, do they have a “child in common” that would exclude them from being eligible for a divorce based on the ground of mutual consent? Short answer: No. Spouses, who have a signed settlemen…
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