Bowie, MD Child Custody Lawyers

Experienced Maryland Attorneys Helping You Protect Your Children's Best Interests in Bowie Child Custody Cases

When you share minor children, the divorce process can be complex. The decisions you must make regarding child custody, visitation, and child support can be heartbreaking. While feelings of sadness are normal, they can hinder your ability to see the situation clearly. Still, the choices you make now will structure your life and your children's lives for the long term. Working with a compassionate attorney whose focus is protecting your and your children's best interests is vital.

Partnering with the Law Office of Kari H. Fawcett means you will have an aggressive advocate on your side. We have 50+ years of combined experience helping our clients make difficult decisions regarding their children during and after divorce. The insights we gain through lengthy discussions with you allow us to tailor your child custody and parenting plans to your family's unique circumstances. To learn more about why our firm stands above the rest, call today to schedule your free consultation.

Sole, Shared, and Joint Child Custody in Maryland

There are two kinds of child custody, and each can be sole or joint:

• Legal custody: Decision-making rights for significant life choices, such as healthcare, education, and religion.
• Physical custody: Responsibility for caring for and supervising your children when they are with you.

With sole custody, only one parent retains rights and responsibilities. Joint custody allows parents to share their responsibilities and rights, ensuring that they can both be involved in their children's lives. As you address concerns related to child custody, you must develop a parenting plan that outlines various matters, such as:

• How much time your children will spend with each parent, known as parenting time, visitation, or child access.
• The parenting time schedule, taking holidays, birthdays, work schedules, your children's activities, and vacations into consideration.
• Decision-making authority, including how you will work together to address important concerns about how your children will be raised.
• Communication methods when issues about your children need to be discussed with your ex.

If you and your ex cannot agree on a parenting plan, the courts may intervene, and you will be forced to abide by the court's ruling. When you partner with the Law Office of Kari H. Fawcett, we will help you devise a parenting plan that protects your parental rights and your children's best interests.

Maintaining Your Relationship With Your Children

Although your marriage may be ending, your relationship with your children should endure, regardless of which parent has physical custody. Your child custody agreement should allow both parents that opportunity unless extenuating circumstances apply. Some situations that can affect custody considerations include:

• Child abuse and domestic violence
• Drug addiction
• Prior surrendering of custody or abandonment
• Mental health issues
• Criminal behaviors

Unmarried parents who go their separate ways will also need to create a parenting plan to ensure that they can work together to address their children's ongoing needs. If you believe your children's best interests would not be served by giving your spouse custody or visitation rights, your lawyer from Law Office of Kari H. Fawcett can help you address your situation effectively.

Considerations in Maryland Parenting Plans

When the court approves your parenting plan, it will remain in effect until your children are 18 and have graduated from high school, although provisions for things like health insurance and college tuition may extend past that time. When crafting your parenting plan, your attorney will help you evaluate various factors, such as:

• Whether your children have a stronger attachment to one parent
• Your children's wishes, depending on their age and maturity level
• Your children's unique needs, including emotional, developmental, mental, or physical concerns
• Where each parent will be located and their living situations
• Your children's activities
• How you and your ex interact with each other, including your willingness and ability to foster a relationship between your children and the other parent
• Military deployment
• Parental work schedules or other limitations
• The financial resources of each parent

Rather than adapting your family to a standard parenting plan, the Law Office of Kari H. Fawcett will help you formulate your own and create terms that fit your unique situation. If circumstances change significantly in the future, such as one parent relocating or a substantial change in one parent's health or finances, we can also help with parenting plan and child custody modifications.

Contact Our Bowie, Maryland Child Custody Attorneys

As a parent, you are responsible for making the best choices for your children. You can trust the Law Office of Kari H. Fawcett to give you the information, guidance, and advice you need to make wise child custody decisions. Contact us online or by calling 301-262-5500 to discuss your case with one of our skilled Maryland divorce attorneys.