You might be getting ready to divorce your partner and lead separate lives once again, but that’s difficult with co-parenting, especially if you’re unable to agree on anything that pertains to your children’s lives. Parents generally get awarded shared custody in Maryland courts because it is in the children’s best interests to be in contact with both their parents.

While it might be ideal to have both the parents in the picture when raising a child, sometimes, it might not be in their best interest. There may be any number of things that can cause the court to be wary of sole custody; here are some examples:

Abuse

A history of abuse, especially in recent times, may make the court give sole custody to the parent that is non-abusive. The abuse can pertain to either the child or to the other parent. With credible proof of abuse, the court orders sole legal custody as a definitive action unless the judge can specify the reason for awarding shared legal custody in writing.

Impaired by substance abuse or mental illness

If a parent is found to be abusing substances or mentally ill to the point of impaired judgment, the stable parent might be awarded sole custody. These parents are, however, provided with the opportunity to work through these problems and get awarded shared custody if they demonstrate a consistent effort to do so.

Lack of contact

If a parent hasn’t been in contact with their child for long periods of time before the court proceedings, or if they’ve never been in the picture, the court determines it to be too risky to give joint custody. The present parent is rewarded sole custody because they are more in tune with their child’s needs.

Strained communication between parents

The court might order sole legal custody in the case of two parents who can’t communicate effectively due to their strained relationship. They would first be encouraged to work on their issues or go to counseling together, but sole custody is the best option if the communication issues are sure to leave a negative impact on the child.

Get the help of an experienced child custody attorney in Baltimore County

If you or someone you love is going through a custody battle, an experienced child custody lawyer can help you gain full custody of your child.

Lincoln Law Group’s compassionate family lawyer in Silver Spring and Baltimore can also help you understand why your partner may have been granted full custody and how to contest it after a while. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call us. We also have experienced tax lawyers, immigration lawyers, criminal defense lawyers, and personal injury lawyers to help you with almost every type of legal work.