Rockville Mothers’ Rights Lawyer

Maryland moms who are worried about losing their custodial rights during child-related legal proceedings should consult with a local attorney. Qualified legal counsel can help mothers understand and assert their custodial, visitation, parental, and financial rights in a pending family law case.

Whether you need help fighting for custody, asserting your right to parenting time after a divorce, or collecting child support and child support arrears, you do not have to face these emotional and complex matters alone. You can benefit from discussing your concerns with a dedicated Rockville mothers’ rights lawyer.

Overview of Mothers’ Custody & Child Support Rights

Judges typically presume that both of a child’s parents have equal rights to legal and physical custody. However, an attorney can help provide evidence that granting primary physical custody and decision-making rights to the mother serves the child’s best interests.

When determining whether to award a mother primary physical custody of children following separation or divorce, courts may consider the following factors:

• Her role as a primary caretaker
• Her relationship with the child
• Her capacity to provide a safe, stable, and loving home environment
• The proximity of her home to the child’s school, social life, and the father’s residence
• Any unique health and educational needs of the child
• Any history of domestic abuse, neglect, or abandonment by either parent
• Both parties’ work schedules

Moms awarded primary physical custody may also petition the court for child support from their child’s other parent. This support is meant to help mothers maintain their children’s housing needs, provided healthy meals, and purchase necessities such as clothing and medication. A local lawyer can also help moms request financial support to be included in their child support calculation under Maryland Child Support Guidelines for the child’s transportation expenses and private school tuition fees, if applicable.

Asserting Mothers’ Rights to Make Legal Decisions for Children

Sometimes, parties share physical custody of children, or one of the parties has primary physical custody. In most cases, even if the father obtains primary physical custody, the mother will still have visitation and access rights. The courts favor awarding the parties joint legal custody of children even when one parent or another has primary physical custody.

Legal custody usually includes the right to make major decisions about their children’s lives, such as healthcare, education, and religion. An attorney can help mothers negotiate parenting plans by discussing these crucial decisions and participating in mediation as necessary. A mother should speak with a Rockville attorney about her right to act as a “tiebreaker” during legal custody disputes.

Fighting for Mothers during Family Law Cases in Rockville

If there are child abuse or neglect allegations by either party, Child Protective Services (CPS) may be contacted and will do their own investigation, which will be reported to the court. Even in these situations, if a parent is found to have abused or neglected their child, the court may award that party supervised access and visitation.

A lawyer can help a mother navigate any allegations of child abuse and defend her parental rights, so she doesn’t lose access. An attorney can also help moms apply for child support and child support arrears.

Seek Help from a Rockville Mothers’ Rights Attorney

Do not let ex-spouses or co-parents threaten you and your children. Mothers have parental rights during custody, visitation, support, and other family law proceedings that an attorney can help assert.

Fight for your children’s wellbeing with the help of a dedicated Rockville mother’s rights lawyer. Whether you want to discuss educational needs, child support payments, or pending CPS investigations, our team of steadfast legal professionals can represent you through every stage of litigation. Call our firm today.