Child Support & Child Custody Attorneys in Rockville, Maryland

Beyond the property division issues involved in divorce, custody and support issues also need to be handled by experienced attorneys.

In Maryland, custody is divided into two categories: physical and legal. The former corresponds to the time that a child will physically spend with his or her parents. The latter refers to decision-making rights with respect to education, health care, religion, and other matters. When making decisions about custody, courts look to "the Best Interests of the Child."

This legal standard involves weighing multiple factors and often comes down to the skill with which those factors are presented to the court. The court will always attempt to foster ongoing healthy relationships between parents and the children, but will also focus on the health and well-being of the children.

With few exceptions, child support is determined by the Maryland Child Support Guidelines when the parents' incomes are a combined $360,000 per year or less. This calculation takes into account a number of factors and then derives a schedule of support based on access, income, special needs of the child, and other issues. In situations where the parents' incomes are higher than $360,000 per year, the judge has discretion in determining the amount of child support after considering various factors including an extrapolation of the guidelines.

Spousal Support/Alimony has no formulaic, statutory guidelines in Maryland. In practice, this means that while various factors will be considered, it is ultimately up to the discretion of the judge when making a final determination.

If you are working through any of these issues, it is imperative to have a lawyer to advocate for you and guide you through the process.

With more than a half-century of experience working on these issues, we will bring our comprehensive knowledge of family law to help you and your loved ones transition in the best possible way. We are dedicated to the short-term and long-term needs of our clients, and we develop practical "real-life" solutions to these difficult circumstances. We encourage you to get in touch as soon as possible.

Call today to contact the firm and schedule an initial consultation to discuss child custody and child support with one of our Rockville attorneys.