Glen Burnie Visitation Lawyers

Caring Visitation Attorneys Advocating for Parents in Glen Burnie, Maryland

When one parent is awarded physical custody rights over a child, the other parent may still have the right to visitation on a regular basis. If you need help petitioning for visitation or enforcing your right to visitation, you could benefit from legal representation. A Glen Burnie family law attorney can represent you in court and advocate for your right to be present in your child's life.

At Zide Law Group, LLC, we understand just how meaningful and important visitation can be for maintaining your bond with your child. Our attorneys will take the time to understand your family's unique circumstances, providing passionate representation throughout your case.

How Is Visitation Determined?

All custody decisions, including visitation, are made with the child's best interests at heart. When determining whether visitation is appropriate, the courts will take all aspects of a child's home life into account, such as:

• Each parent's relationship and bond with the child
• Any past instances of abuse or neglect against the child
• The distance between the parents' residences
• Each parent's ability to address and meet the child's needs
• Whether one or both parents have acted as the child's primary caregiver
• The fitness of each parent and their ability to take responsibility for the child

An award of visitation to a non-custodial parent may vary from case to case. For instance, a non-custodial parent could be allowed to see the child once a week without any kind of formal supervision from another adult. In other cases, visitation might only be allowed with another responsible adult present, and only at specific permitted places.

If a parent is deemed to be a risk to the child in any capacity, visitation may come with more restrictions. If the risk is too great, visitation could be denied altogether. At Zide Law Group, LLC, our lawyers can argue for a healthy custody solution in court.

Can Visitation Be Modified?

A court order of visitation can be modified under certain circumstances, always with good cause. To petition for a modification of child custody or an existing visitation schedule, you must show that there has been a significant change in circumstances.

For instance, if you were only allowed supervised visitation due to a substance abuse issue, you could argue for unsupervised visitation if you have been sober for a long period of time. You could also petition for full physical custody rights, which would allow you to house your child. In any petition for modification, the burden is on you (the petitioner) to prove that the change to the visitation schedule would be best for the child.

Can Third Parties Petition for Visitation?

In Maryland, some third parties other than the biological or adoptive parents may be able to petition for visitation rights. However, this right is not extended to just anybody. If you are a third party (IE, anyone other than the child's legal parents), you must meet certain requirements before you can request visitation rights. To qualify, you must:

• Demonstrate that the child's parents are unfit;
• Argue that there are exceptional circumstances justifying third-party visitation; or
• Show that you have acted as a de facto parent in the child's life.

A de factoparent is someone who has assumed significant parental responsibility in a child's life without any legal status, provided that the legal parents also consented to this arrangement.

Meet With a Glen Burnie, MD Visitation Attorney Today

Exercising your right to visitation is important for playing an active role in your child's life. At Zide Law Group, LLC, our Glen Burnie family lawyers can help you petition for an appropriate visitation schedule in court. Call our offices at 410-760-9433 or contact us online to schedule a consultation today.