When parents separate or divorce, one of the most important issues they face is determining custody arrangements for their children. In Maryland, child custody is divided into two separate categories: legal custody and physical custody. Understanding the difference can help you make informed decisions about your child's future and protect your parental rights.

What Is Legal Custody?

Legal custody refers to a parent's authority to make major decisions about a child's upbringing. These decisions often include:

• Education and school selection

• Medical and dental care

• Religious upbringing

• Mental health treatment

• Participation in significant extracurricular activities

Maryland courts frequently award joint legal custody, allowing both parents to participate in making these important decisions. However, when communication between parents is extremely difficult or one parent has demonstrated poor judgment, the court may award sole legal custody to one parent.

Even when one parent has sole legal custody, the other parent may still have visitation rights and remain involved in the child's life.

What Is Physical Custody?

Physical custody determines where the child lives and who is responsible for the child's day-to-day care.

Physical custody arrangements can vary depending on the family's circumstances and the child's best interests. Common arrangements include:

• The child primarily lives with one parent while spending scheduled time with the other.

• Parents share physical custody under a schedule that allows substantial parenting time with each parent.

• A customized parenting schedule designed to meet the child's unique needs.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" custody schedule. Maryland courts focus on creating an arrangement that promotes stability, consistency, and the child's overall well-being.

How Do Maryland Courts Decide Custody?

Maryland judges make custody decisions based on the best interests of the child. No single factor determines the outcome. Instead, the court considers many aspects of the family's situation, including:

• Each parent's ability to care for the child

• The child's relationship with each parent

• The willingness of each parent to encourage a healthy relationship with the other parent

• The child's emotional, educational, and developmental needs

• Each parent's physical and mental health

• Stability of each parent's home environment

• Any history of domestic violence, abuse, or neglect

• The child's preference, when appropriate based on age and maturity

Every custody case is unique, and the court carefully evaluates the specific facts before entering a custody order.

Can Custody Orders Be Modified?

Yes. A custody order may be modified if there has been a material change in circumstances since the previous order and changing custody would be in the child's best interests.

Examples of a material change may include:

• A parent's relocation

• Significant changes in a child's educational or medical needs

• Concerns about a child's safety or welfare

• Changes in a parent's ability to provide care

Because modification cases can be legally complex, it is important to seek legal advice before filing a request with the court.

Why Legal Representation Matters

Custody disputes are often emotionally challenging and can have a lasting impact on your family. Whether you are negotiating a parenting agreement or preparing for a contested court hearing, having an experienced Maryland family law attorney on your side can make a significant difference.

An attorney can help you gather evidence, present your case effectively, protect your parental rights, and work toward an arrangement that serves your child's best interests.

Contact the Law Office of Neveen Kurtom

If you have questions about child custody or are involved in a custody dispute anywhere in Maryland, the Law Office of Neveen Kurtom is here to help. We provide compassionate, strategic representation for parents facing divorce, custody modifications, visitation disputes, and other family law matters.

Contact us today at (301) 356-4423 to schedule a confidential consultation and learn how we can help protect your rights and your relationship with your child.

For many families, summer is a season of vacations, camps, pool days, and a welcome break from the school year routine. For co-parents, however, summer can also bring scheduling challenges and disagreements if expectations are not clearly communicated in advance.

Whether you share custody under a court order or a negotiated parenting plan, taking time to prepare for the summer months can help reduce conflict and create a more enjoyable experience for your children.

Review Your Custody Agreement Early

Many custody agreements contain specific provisions addressing summer parenting time. These provisions may include:

• Extended vacation periods for each parent

• Deadlines for providing vacation dates

• Summer camp schedules

• Holiday schedules that overlap with summer months

• Transportation arrangements

Put the Children's Needs First

Summer often presents opportunities that may not be available during the school year. Children may want to attend sleepaway camp, participate in sports programs, travel with extended family, or spend additional time with relatives. While parents may have differing opinions about how summer time should be spent, courts generally expect parents to prioritize the child's best interests over personal preferences or convenience.

Communicate Vacation Plans Clearly

Vacation disputes are among the most common summer custody issues. To minimize conflict:

• Provide vacation dates as early as possible

• Share travel itineraries when appropriate

• Discuss transportation arrangements in advance

• Provide emergency contact information

• Confirm plans in writing

Good communication helps build trust and reduces misunderstandings that can quickly escalate into larger conflicts.

Document Agreements in Writing

Even when parents have a positive co-parenting relationship, verbal agreements can lead to misunderstandings. If you agree to modify a schedule, swap weekends, or adjust vacation time, confirm the agreement through email, text message, or a co-parenting application.

Final Thoughts

Summer should be a time for children to make memories, explore new experiences, and enjoy meaningful time with both parents. Planning ahead, communicating openly, and focusing on your children's best interests can help co-parents navigate the season more successfully.

If you have questions about your custody order, summer parenting schedules, relocation concerns, or modifications to an existing custody arrangement, contact us at 301-356-4423 and we can help you understand your rights and options before conflicts arise.

If you’re separated and still paying the mortgage on a jointly owned home, Maryland law may entitle you to a credit from your spouse at the time of divorce. Known as “Crawford credits”, named after the 1982 Maryland case Crawford v. Crawford, these credits recognize that one spouse shouldn’t bear the full financial burden of a shared property while the other contributes nothing. They can cover mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and other carrying costs paid after separation.

Crawford credits are not automatic, however, and there are important exceptions. If the paying spouse used marital funds to cover the home expenses, no credit will be awarded because both spouses already share an interest in those funds, making a separate credit inequitable. Courts may also deny credits where one spouse was involuntarily forced out of the home, where the parties had a prior agreement governing expenses, or where awarding credits would produce an unfair result given the broader financial circumstances of the divorce.

If you believe you’re owed Crawford credits, you must actively raise the issue and the source of funds you used to pay those expenses matters more than most people realize. Contact our office today at 301-356-4423 to discuss how property payments during your separation may affect your divorce case.