How you handle day to day situations and contact with the opposing parent during a divorce is critical to child custody proceedings. The role of your child custody lawyer is to not only uncover evidence from past actions to support your custody petition but also to advise you on what to do and, most importantly, what not to do during the divorce. Since we only handle family law matters, our attorneys have significant experience in DC and Maryland child custody litigation. We effectively and efficiently use discovery to obtain the evidence necessary to present your case. In the unfortunate and extremely serious situation of child abuse or child endangerment, we take immediate steps to protect you and the children. We can advise you on the best path forward and discover or control the evidence to support your petition.
Custody Laws & Custody Types
There are many different types of custody and visitation. We represent clients in a wide range of custody disputes from the initial custody hearing during a separation to modification disputes. Some of the proceedings in which our child custody attorneys act as your advocate include:
Legal Custody– This means you have the right as a parent to continue to make major decisions regarding the welfare of the child including health, education, and other important decisions.
Sole Legal Custody– This is a form of legal custody but where only one parent has the right to make a major decisions related to the child and the other parent’s right to make such decisions has been terminated.
Joint Legal Custody– In this form of legal custody the parents share the decision making. There is also joint custody with tiebreaker which gives one parent additional decision making capabilities.
Physical Custody– This is simply the time sharing between parents. It may be defined as Primary Physical Custody with one parent having more time with the children and the other parent having less time with the children. (i.e. primary custody to one parent and an evening per week and alternate weekends and alternate holidays with the other parent). It could also be Equal Time Sharing where the parties share the children equally. For example, it could consist of alternating weeks or one parent has the children on Monday and Tuesdays and the other on Wednesday and Thursdays and then alternating weekends from Friday until Monday mornings. (2-2-5-5 schedule).
Of course, these are just a few of the areas of child custody in which we assist clients. Our firm is experienced and intricately involved in custody disputes on a daily basis. Our systems, resources, and attorneys are committed to diligent and efficient representation in your family law matters in Maryland or Washington, DC.
