When you and your Maryland spouse share a child or children together and decide to part ways, you may need to come up with a custody arrangement. When Maryland’s family court system has to come up with custody terms of your child’s behalf, it typically refers to a specific set of factors to determine your child’s best interests.
According to the Maryland Courts, some of the variables the state’s family courts consider in child custody cases are as follows.
The desires and parental abilities of each parent
If you and your ex both want to have custody, the court may pave the way for this unless there are allegations of abuse or something similar involved. However, whether you both get custody also depends to some degree on your parental abilities and whether the state considers each of you to be a fit parent.
The desires of your child
If your child is of an appropriate age and the court considers him or her to be mature enough to make an educated decision, the court may also consider your child’s own desires before making decisions about child custody.
You and your ex’s willingness to honor agreements
The court may also consider whether you and your ex have exhibited a willingness to honor agreements and stick to set plans in the past. If you both have a history of doing so, this may improve each of your custody chances.
These are some of the variables state courts may take into account when deciding where your child should live and when. However, please note that this is not an exhaustive list of all areas the state may review in a custody case.