How Does the Court Determine Custody?

If you’re filing for divorce or you’re separating from your partner and there are children involved, you need legal assistance from an experienced child custody lawyer. Child custody guidelines are highly complex and they vary from state to state; your child custody lawyer can help you understand the legal process of obtaining custody. As your family law attorney can explain to you, there is no set formula the court will use to determine custody. Rather, Maryland courts evaluate the entire nature of the circumstances regarding the care of the child. The court must consider which child custody arrangement will be in the best interests of the child.

Before child custody is determined, you might prepare for mediation with the help of your child custody lawyer near Severn. Mediation is an attempt to resolve the dispute before a trial in family court. If mediation does not result in a favorable outcome, the judge will make the final decision. After child custody and visitation has been determined, either party may later file a petition in an attempt to change custody. However, to change a custody agreement, the court usually requires that an extraordinary change of circumstances has taken place.