Child Custody and Support
Here at the Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman, we know that child custody and child support issues are probably the most difficult parts of a divorce. We negotiate -- and, if necessary, litigate -- to resolve them with as little pain as possible. Often, informal negotiation produces outcomes that are acceptable to all the parties, but sometimes litigation -- going to court -- is appropriate. Child custody is automatically adjudicated during divorces under Maryland law, but child custody comes up in other contexts as well, including post-divorce and when parents are not married.
A Maryland custody attorney fights for two kinds of child custody in Maryland law: physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody is the right to take care of the children on a day to-day-basis. Legal custody is the right to be make decisions on major issues like education, religion, and health care. In many cases, joint legal custody and joint physical custody -- sharing one or both of these forms of child custody -- are viable options for clients to pursue both during the divorce process, as well as afterwards, as needed, in a separate proceeding.
In Maryland, child support amounts are calculated according to the child support guidelines established in Maryland law. Child support amounts are based upon the number of children, the amount of wages, and other factors listed in the child support guidelines. If you are having difficulty collecting child support, you need a Maryland custody lawyer willing to go to court to fight for your children, and willing to fight in court to get signed court orders that will garnish wages, seize assets, and pursue civil and criminal contempt (even jail time) against parents who have not been paying their child support.