CHILD CUSTODY, VISITATION

AND CHILD SUPPORT

GUIDING YOU THROUGH CHILD CUSTODY, VISITATION & CHILD SUPPORT

For the majority of parents who find themselves in need of a family law attorney, the best interest of their children is the primary focus. Often, legal proceedings involving children are highly emotional; at times parties may let emotion cloud their judgment when dealing with child custody, visitation, or child support matters. At the Law Office of Corrie A. Boulay, our lawyers will help you focus on, and obtain, concrete solutions securing the best for your children.

helping you in family court

Looking Out for the Best Interests of Your Children

The most important issue in any child custody and visitation arrangement is to protect the best interest of your children. Our lawyers have negotiated arrangements ranging from joint custody with equal access to each parent to sole custody for one parent. We also help same-sex parents, who may serve as de-facto parents even when no biological link to a child is present, assert their custodial rights.

Child Support

Maryland law provides for child support to be calculated using a mandatory formula. The Maryland Child Support Guidelines consider each parent’s gross monthly income, the amount of time the children spend with each parent, work related child care costs, the cost of health insurance for the children, and several other less common factors to calculate a monthly child support payment amount. Our lawyers will use their experience to assist you with establishing a new child support order, or enforcing an order that already exists. Child support may be modified after an order has been entered if there have been significant changes to either parents financial circumstances, or significant changes to either parent’s time spent with the children.

Maternal Custody Rights

If you were married when you gave birth to the child, your spouse at the time is assumed to be the biological father of the child. In this case, both you and the father are “joint natural guardians” of the child. But, if you gave birth outside of a marriage, you are still considered the “natural guardian” of the child, while the biological father has to establish his paternity. As a “joint natural guardian” you equally share in the rights and responsibilities of parenthood, but as a single “natural guardian” you alone have the rights and responsibilities of parenthood, until paternity is established. Paternity can be established by the presumed biological father signing an “Affidavit of Paternity” voluntarily or by DNA testing ordered by the Court. 

Parental Rights For Fathers

As a father heading into a custody case , things can be a little more complicated. You are still the father of your children, but questions regarding the care of the child now have to be answered and agreed to by both you and the mother and/or decreed by a Judge. Now the financial, medical, educational, residential, and all other decisions regarding your child’s life and future have to be arranged.

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