Child Custody – Cynthia H. Clark & Associates

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410-541-1380

Talk to a Divorce Attorney

410-541-1380

Trusted Counsel Regarding Child Custody in Maryland

Protecting clients’ interests and rights to access and parenting time

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Steps to getting divorced Maryland

Custody falls into a handful of categories, all revolving around legal custody, which gives parents the right to make major decisions on behalf of the child, including decisions about schooling, religion and medical care, and physical custody, which relates to where the children reside.

The courts divide these orders in a number of ways. In sum, the orders are:

Sole custody. One parent is granted sole legal and/or physical custody of the child. Courts are not likely to grant sole physical custody to one parent and sole legal custody to the other. In many cases, the parent will be granted sole physical AND legal custody, or some combination of sole and joint custody.Changing all of your passwords for your social media and email accounts, and changing your privacy settings. Do not remove any posts, or delete any texts; that information could be subpoenaed at a later date.
Joint/Shared custody. Parents share the responsibilities of legal and physical custody, though one parent’s opinion may be weighted in cases where the parents disagree.

The courts also award temporary custody (known as pendente lite custody) of a child to one parent or the other, based on the circumstances of each individual matter. An award of temporary custody does not necessarily indicate that you will be favored during the custody proceedings, as the hearing to determine whether temporary custody will be granted to a party is of short duration, and all evidence and witnesses are not necessarily presented. If you are a member of a military family, however, different laws and regulations may apply.

Third parties are unlikely to be granted custody of the children, unless the parents are found to be unfit. Grandparents in Maryland may petition the courts for access to their grandchildren, but there is no guarantee they will get obtain visitation. Similar to parental custody matters, grandparent access and visitation will be granted according to the best interests of the child.

How courts decide custody issues

In Maryland, the courts base child custody and access decisions on the best interests of the child, “considering the totality of circumstances” of each family’s unique circumstances. While every family is different, some factors used to make these decisions are fairly consistent. They include:

The parenting plan created by both parents, when applicable;
Financial stability and/or resources of both parents;
Mental, physical and emotional fitness of both parents;
Consideration as to the parent who is the primary caregiver;
The age and health of the child(ren);
Educational support and opportunities;
Whether or not one parent already has custody of, or access to, children from previous relationships;
Length of the separation between the parents;
Residential location of both parents; and
Histories of both parents in regard to prior arrests, especially if one parent has a history of domestic violence.
The court may also be influenced by the child’s preference, depending upon the age of the child. If the child or the parent suffers with a disability, this may also play a role in a custody decision, as well as access to sufficient healthcare, rehabilitation facilities or outside assistance for physical, educational and psychological needs that may be necessary on a regular basis.

Access and visitation

Access, like custody, is determined by the Court and will be implemented in a Court Order. If one parent violates the Order, they may be held in contempt of the Order.

Furthermore, parents are not able to change the custody or visitation orders on their own; rather, they must file a petition to modify the order with the court. Cynthia H. Clark & Associates, LLC, has a successful track record of assisting parents who wish to modify these orders to ensure they are granted access to their children. The firm also represents those who:

Are being denied access because of issues relating to child support or any other matters concerning the best interests of the children;
Wish to modify an order because of suspected or proven instances of domestic violence;
Have relocated or are planning to relocate within Maryland or outside of the state;
Believe their child has been kidnapped by the other parent; and
Have come to an amicable resolution with their former spouses, and need to modify the court orders in accordance with their collective wishes.

The firm’s attorneys use their combined 30 years of experience to advocate for their clients, implementing their extensive skills and diverse backgrounds to ensure that their clients’ needs are met and their rights are protected during custody and access proceedings.

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Our Team

Meet Our Attorneys

Cynthia H Clark - Annapolis Divorce Lawyer

CYNTHIA HAWKINS CLARK

Principal

Cynthia H. Clark opened Cynthia H. Clark & Associates, LLC in 2018. Prior to starting her own firm, she was a partner at Peters & Clark, P.A. With more than 20 years of legal practice both in law firms and corporate firms throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia, Ms. Clark offers valuable insight and competent counsel to her clients.

Bar Admissions

Maryland, 1998
District of Columbia, 1998

Languages

English
Spanish

courtney b sperry annapolis maryland lawyer

COURTENAY B. SPERRY

Courtenay B. Sperry joined the Law Offices of Paula J. Peters in June 2014, after seven years of family law and general civil practice throughout the state of Maryland. As an attorney with Cynthia H. Clark & Associates, LLC, she continues to assist clients throughout Maryland.

Bar Admissions

Maryland, 2007
U.S. Tax Court, 2007

Bar Admissions

English

PAULA J. PETERS

Of Counsel

Paula is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she majored in government and politics. After a short stint as a graduate student at the University of Maryland, she decided to attend law school and graduated in 1979 from the University of Baltimore where she was a member of the Law Review.

Bar Admissions

Maryland, 1979

From Our Past Clients

They did an incredible job and got me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I have no idea where I would be now without them. They helped me so much with getting time with my son.

Theodore S.

GOOGLE REVIEW

It was a pleasure working with Cynthia Clark and her wonderful staff. I found Attorney Clark to be professional, responsive, and knowledgeable.
Thanks to Ms. Clark and Ms. Sperry, I obtained a favorable outcome with my child custody situation. I found Ms. Clark to be extremely credible, and would highly recommend her office to anyone seeking legal representatio

Chris B.

Google Review

Articulate, kind and compassionate. Such a wonderful office mentality in such a difficult time. I was constantly impressed by their knowledge of the law, accessibility, and timeliness. Was thankful to be represented by this firm.

Ellen P.

GOOGLE REVIEW

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The benefits of working with an elite Annapolis family law firm

The firm has earned its reputation as one of the premier family law firms in Maryland. The attorneys’ diverse backgrounds allow for creative and pro-active strategies designed with each clients’ individual needs in mind. Each member of this team has been recognized for her individual contributions to the practice of family law by objective ratings services and by local and national volunteer and charity organizations. Their work in the Maryland General Assembly as well as their experiences with Fortune 500 companies allow them to look at each client’s case from multiple perspectives, allowing them to craft solutions that work for their clients.