Rockville Mother’s Rights Lawyer

In custody disputes, mothers used to be given preference over fathers, a long time ago. That is no longer the case under the current law, and fathers and mothers have equal rights to time with their children. As a mother, you may have questions about how a court will decide custody in your case or how you should go about getting child support if your child’s father is not acknowledging his parenting or financial responsibilities.

A Rockville mother’s rights lawyer can help you protect your rights regarding your child. If you and the child’s father dispute custody, or you need assistance to establish paternity and secure child support, reach out to an experienced family attorney.

Mother’s Rights in Custody Cases

In any custody dispute in Rockville, a court must consider what custodial arrangement will be in a child’s best interests. In doing so, a judge must consider many factors including,  but not limited to the following:

  • The fitness of the parents
  • The parents’ character and reputation
  • Any custody agreements the parents have made
  • The possibility of maintaining natural family relationships
  • The preference of the child if they are old enough to express their wishes
  • The child’s age, sex, and health
  • The material opportunities that each parent can provide to the child
  • The distance between the parties’ homes
  • Where each parent resides and the possibility of visitation by the non-custodial parent

In Maryland, the courts generally favor custody schedules that allow both parents to participate in the child’s life and share parenting time with the child. If a mother believes that her child’s best interests are not protected in the father’s care or in a shared custody arrangement, she could request sole legal and physical custody. If a mother is pursuing full custodial rights, she will need to show the court that the request is in the child’s best interests. An attorney familiar with the custody factors in Rockville mothers’ rights cases could present evidence to the court to prove that it is in the best interests of the child to be placed in the mother’s sole care and custody.

Establishing Paternity in Family Cases

When a child is born to married parents, both parents are presumed to be the child’s legal parents. If the parents are unmarried at the time of birth, paternity may have to be proven before a mother can seek child support from the father. In Maryland, paternity may be established in the following ways:

  • If the mother is married when the child is conceived or at the time the child is born, the mother’s husband is deemed to be the child’s legal father
  • If the mother and father wed after the child is born and the father openly acknowledges the child as his own
  • Unmarried parents may sign an ‘Affidavit of Parentage’ acknowledging the legal father
  • A mother, alleged biological father, the child, or any state agency or individual who is supporting the child could file a paternity action in court

It is essential for a mother to understand the process for establishing her child’s paternity. Once the legal father is identified, the mother may exercise her child’s right to receive child support on behalf of the child. An experienced lawyer in Rockville can assist with the Affidavit of Parentage form to protect the mother’s rights or, if the father contests paternity, represent a mother in a paternity case.

A Rockville Mother’s Rights Attorney Can Help

A mother needs to assert her legal right to protect her child in any custody dispute. If you are concerned about your child’s well-being and safety in the father’s care, it is essential to present evidence to a judge to support your request for sole custody.

It is also important to identify your child’s legal father so that you can seek child support on your child’s behalf. A Rockville mother’s rights lawyer can assist you in a custody dispute or paternity proceeding and help ensure that the father pays the correct amount of child support under state law. Seek legal help today.