child custody
Five Tips to Get More Parenting Time With Your Child
Are you trying to get more parenting or visitation time with your child? It is important to be proactive – whether you are just talking about divorce, in the middle of a custody dispute, or if you feel you are ready for increased time with your child. All custody and visitation cases are unique, but…
Read MoreWhen a Non-Custodial Parent with a Criminal Record Wants Custody
Most parents want what’s best for their children. That includes growing up in a stable environment with adults around them who will be good influences in their lives. Anything that feels unsafe can cause any caring parent to be flooded with fear and anxiety. What if you had no control over protecting your child from…
Read MoreFalsifying Drug Tests for Child Custody Cases
How many times have you heard your child’s other parent claim he or she is sober, but you’ve seen the same signs of being under the influence so many times that you know it’s a lie? You have concerns about your child being around that parent but your fears have fallen on deaf ears so…
Read MoreMy Child’s Absentee Parent Suddenly Wants Custody
Being a primary caretaker of a child is hard work. Being the only caretaker is harder. Single parents – no matter their station in life – carry a unique burden when it comes to raising children. A parent who has been uninvolved in your child’s life, even to the extent of being completely missing for…
Read MoreRelocation and Interstate Child Custody Issues
Coparenting has its challenges, even when a divorce is amicable and the parenting plan is just. One of the more common challenges relates to parental relocation: what do you need to do if you or your spouse must move? Under typical circumstances, if a parent wishes to move, that parent must provide written notice within…
Read MoreCan Children Hire Their Own Custody Attorneys in Maryland?
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients during divorces is, “Do my children have a choice about which parent they want to live with?” Maryland has a number of different guidelines regarding children’s involvement in custody proceedings. The older the child, the more valuable their input – but, as in any…
Read MoreSubstance Abuse Complicates Child Custody Matters
Frequently, when two parents head to court over issues related to their children, it often boils down to someone wanting more visitation, or a complete change in custody. Allegations of all sorts can begin to fly when the gloves come off, including drug and alcohol abuse. This can be a game changer when it comes…
Read MoreChild Custody, Co-Parenting, and COVID-19
Sharing custody of your child can be a challenge under any circumstance. Meshing schedules together and ensuring the best interests of your kids during a national pandemic can seem almost impossible, even when you and the other parent have a strong relationship. With school and business closings, stay-at-home orders in place, and unemployment on the…
Read MoreYes, Parents Can Be Charged with Kidnapping Their Own Children
When you and your child’s other parent are divorcing, or just going through a child custody battle, unless a court order specifies otherwise, you both have legal rights to your child. However, when there has been a court order entered determining custody and visitation rights, taking your child out of state, out of the country,…
Read MoreWhat is the Difference Between Physical Custody and Legal Custody in Maryland?
Determining child custody can be one of the most contentious aspects of divorce. Most parents have a basic idea of the different types of custody that are available in a Maryland divorce, but do you understand the difference between legal and physical custody, and how co-parents handle decision-making based on these distinctions? At McCabe Russell,…
Read MoreHow Do We Ensure That the Best Interest of the Child Includes His and Her Safety?
It is common practice to assume that the best interest of a child includes access to both parents. Co-parenting is a critical element in any parenting plan, and courts want children to spend time with both parents. Under normal circumstances, this is in the best interest of the kids. But what happens when it is…
Read MoreHow Mental Health Issues Can Affect Child Custody
It can be difficult to talk about, but needs to be acknowledged – mental illness affects every aspect of a person’s life, as well as the lives around them. Sometimes mental illness can have serious or devastating effects on a marriage or relationship. Often this can lead to issues with divorce or child custody. When…
Read MoreThere’s an App for That: Divorce and Custody Apps That Really Work
Updated 2020 Apps can be life-saving in divorce and custody cases. When you are in the throes of a divorce or a custody case, documentation can make or break your case (remember what we’ve said before about discovery). Even when you’re done with litigation, many custody situations demand sharing calendars and reconciling child-related bills. There are…
Read MoreMinimizing Your Attorneys’ Fees In Your Divorce
The cost of your attorneys’ fees in a divorce or family law matter can be both emotionally painful and painfully expensive. In order to maximize your money with your lawyer, here are our best tips: Be clear on your goals. At McCabe Russell, PA, our divorce intake form asks clients to identify their top…
Read MoreNew “One Judge, One Family” Policy in Montgomery County
Following in the footsteps of some other courts around the country, Montgomery County Circuit Court will adopt a “One Judge, One Family” policy for qualifying cases commencing January 1, 2016. Prior to the adoption of the policy, different portions of the same case were not necessarily heard by the same judge or magistrate. Going forward,…
Read MoreThink Second Parent Adoptions Are A Thing Of the Past? Think Again. Conover v. Conover.
Yesterday, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals released its latest opinion on third party custody rights in Conover v. Conover. This case involved a lesbian couple. One of the couple, the biological parent, was inseminated and carried the child and the other woman, the non-biological parent, held herself out as the parent to the child,…
Read MoreWhat If My Husband’s Name Is On The Ashley Madison List?
In the wake of the Ashley Madison hack, we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about what to do with the information that your spouse may be committing adultery. McCabe RussellAt McCabe Russell, PA, we have an established reputation as assertive and confident negotiators and litigators, offering legal guidance designed to eliminate any of our…
Read More5 Steps To Take Before You Divorce
View our video on 5 steps to take before you divorce. You may also want to review our frequently asked questions about divorce, domestic violence, prenuptial agreements, child custody, and related topics about family law in Maryland. McCabe RussellAt McCabe Russell, PA, we have an established reputation as assertive and confident negotiators and litigators, offering…
Read MoreAfter The Supreme Court Opinion, Do My Spouse And I Still Have To Do A Second-Parent Adoption?
Are you wondering whether a second parent adoption is still necessary after the Supreme Court’s recent opinion on same-sex marriage? In short, yes it is. While Obergefell was a giant stride for same-sex folks, it is important not to conflate marriage rights with parentage rights. The same parentage issues that used to be present for…
Read MoreThe Supreme Court On Same-Sex Marriage: The Practical Impact of Obergefell v. Hodges
Today, making way for same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges. The opinion gives same-sex couples the same rights as their different-sex counterparts. The issues as framed by Justice Kennedy (writing for the majority) were (1) whether the Fourteenth Amendment requires a State to issue marriage licenses to two people…
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