For the vast majority of parents in Maryland, the safety and well-being of the children is their main focus. Even when parents divorce and separate, the children remain the top priority in their lives. This is why many parents these days are choosing joint child...
Divorced Maryland parents often struggle with custody exchanges during the winter holidays. In fact, it can be enough to turn even cheery souls into absolute Grinches as they argue over who will get to spend the majority of the holidays with the kids. Whether your...
In a recent unreported case, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals determined that a court can make custody determinations while the mother and father continue to reside together. This case involved some unique facts, however, this case is a marked change from prior...
In a recently decided unreported Maryland Court of Special Appeals Decision the appellate court upheld the trial court's determination to award the grandparents custody of the biological parent's child. The trial court indicated that it awarded the grandparents...
The recent case of Oganov v. Oganov involved an appeal from a decision of Judge Cynthia Callahan of the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Judge Callahan awarded sole legal and primary physical custody to the mother. The mother appealed, apparently being concerned that...
We are often asked by clients to draw up a document appointing a temporary guardian for their children. Unfortunately, the only document which is provided for under the Maryland Code is a document which appoints a standby guardian for six months in the event a...
In the case of Friedetzky v. Hsia, a New York resident was alleged to be the father of a child in a custody action brought in Maryland, by the child's mother. The New York resident requested a paternity test and engaged in financial discovery before admitting he was...
When parents live far apart, in different states, it is often critical which state's court has jurisdiction over a disputed custody case. The state that has jurisdiction will have the dispute heard in the courts located in that state. Thus, the unlucky parent who...
In the recent CINA (Children In Need of Assistance) case of In re Joy D., the Maryland Court of Special Appeals held that a parent can permanently lose their right to regain custody if they persistently fail to take the necessary steps in working towards reunification...
In Davis v. Petito the trial court awarded attorney's fees to a father who it found had been falsely and baselessly accused of sexual abuse by the child's mother. The Court of Appeals reversed the case indicating that the trial court had to consider attorney's fees...
