Representing Children Category | Lindsay Parvis, Attorney

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

January 10th, 2022

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

Tags: Best Interests, Children, Custody, Sanctions

Maryland Child Custody – What ARE the Best Interests of the Child? (2020 Update)

June 2nd, 2020

When it comes to where a child of separated parents lives, the child’s schedule for spending time with each parent, and decision-making about a child, the guiding principle is the child’s best interests. In settlement, this means the parents put… Read More

Tags: Best Interests, best interests of the child, child custody

When Parents' Constitutional Rights & Children's Best Interests Collide

January 23rd, 2020

How are parents’ constitutionally protected beliefs and behaviors weighed against children’s best interests in child custody decisions? The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States’ Constitution protects against the state’s t… Read More

Tags: Best Interests, Children, Constitution, Custody

Maryland Child Custody - What ARE the Best Interests of the Child?

January 16th, 2018

When it comes to where a child of separated parents lives, the child’s schedule for spending time with each parent, and decision-making about a child, the guiding principle is the child’s best interests. In settlement, this means the pare… Read More

Tags: Best Interests, Children, Custody, Parenting Time, Parents

Joint Custody Presumption v. Shared Parenting Advocacy

December 13th, 2017

A December 11, 2017 Washington Post article, “More than 20 states in 2017 considered laws to promote shared custody of children after divorce”, states: “Now lawmakers are accelerating this trend toward co-parenting, with legislature… Read More

Tags: Children, Parenting Time, Parents, Presumption

Maryland Child Custody – The Child’s Voice: Weight of the Child's Preference

November 1st, 2017

A child’s preference is a relevant factor for the court to consider when deciding a custody arrangement (schedule and decision-making). The child’s preference is but one of many best interests factors the court is supposed to consider whe… Read More

Tags: Child's Preference, Child's Voice, Children, Custody, Parents

Maryland Child Custody - The Child's Voice: How The Child's Voice is Heard

October 27th, 2017

In September 2017, I attended a conference at which one of the speakers said that a child who has had an opportunity to have a voice and be heard in the custody process is more likely to follow the custody order even if not the child’s desired… Read More

Tags: Best Interest Attorney, Child, Child Specialist, Child's Voice, Children, Mediation, Parents

Maryland Child Custody - Attorney Representation of Children

October 25th, 2017

Maryland recognizes three types of attorneys who can be appointed to represent children in contested custody, access/visitation/parenting time, and domestic violence cases. All of these roles require that the attorney be appointed by court order to r… Read More

Tags: Best Interest Attorney, Child Advocate Attorney, Child Privilege Attorney, Custody, Parents

At What Age Can A Child Choose With Which Parent to Live?

August 24th, 2017

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… Read More

Tags: Children, Communication, Parents

What is Child Custody?

August 16th, 2017

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… Read More

Tags: Children, Custody, Divorce

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