Issues concerning children, child support, and visitation rights are some of the most painful issues during divorce proceedings.

Child support lawyers in Maryland, however, say, “It serves your kids best when things work out in their best interests. You must know how child support is calculated and how the judges decide on parenting time.”

Custody decisions, more often than not, are tailored to the parents’ unique circumstances.

Yet it would do well to understand the common custody arrangements.

·        Joint physical custody and joint legal custody

·        Physical and legal custody to only one parent

·        Physical custody to one parent and joint legal custody

·        Legal custody to one parent and joint physical custody

Like most family matters, parents govern the custody case. The judge is more inclined to adopt the court order, which is a fair custody arrangement jointly worked out by the parents.

But if the parents fail to come to a consensus, the court will take a decision taking into consideration the best interests of the child.

The factors can be limited to:

·        The child’s age, and mental, and physical health

·        The parents’ physical and mental circumstances

·        The emotional bond the child has with parents/a particular parent

·        Change, if any, in the child’s living patterns

·        The child’s preference if the child is considered mature enough to decide

Are child custody rules in Maryland different?

Child custody in Maryland is decided like in many other states.

There is no one set of rules.

The governing factor is what the best interests of the child are.

Yet, if for any reason, you are involved in a child support case that is beyond the United States’ borders, searching for child support lawyers in Maryland is no easy matter.

According to a Maryland family attorney, “Less than one percent cases are international in nature, but the complexities of these seem to be growing.”

Compared to typical child custody in Maryland, international cases can involve huge sums. The attorney must be able to make a diligent analysis of foreign laws.

If a child is wrongfully residing in a foreign country, you may have limited alternatives. Moreover, you are unlikely to get legal help from the country where the child resides.

The government will assist you only if the child is a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of the International Child Abduction.

“There is a multilateral treaty that offers an approach for return of a child that is internationally abducted by a parent from one country to another,” says a family lawyer.

It may be possible as per Maryland law to provide for child support in a Canadian province through graduate school or in United Kingdom till the child finishes complete education.

If your child support case is international in nature, consult a lawyer specializing in child custody in Maryland and also has significant experience working with lawyers in other countries and solving issues from different legal systems, cultures, and family traditions.