Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary

Child custody — Discovery sanction — Best interests of the child In this appeal from a modification of child custody, we resolve that the best interests of the child standard is the leading consideration for the court in deciding whether ...

Child custody — Gender bias — father This is an appeal from a judgment of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County that denied A. U.’s petition for custody of his minor child, “K.” He raises numerous contentions on appeal, ...

Child custody — Modification — Contempt Andrew Peckerar and Cathleen Pearl are former spouses who are the parents of three minor children. Their divorce has been acrimonious. They have had poor communication between themselves and, as a result, had difficulties ...

Child custody — Circuit court jurisdiction — Law of the case Starsha Sewell, appellant, and John Howard, appellee, are the parents of two minor children. On July 29, 2014, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County entered an order granting ...

Child custody — Best interests of child — School choice Appellant Francesca Gibbs (“Mother”) and appellee William David Chalk (“Father”), agreed to share joint physical and legal custody of their two-year-old daughter (“Daughter”) and six-year-old son (“Son”). Their ensuing disputes ...

Child custody — Transfer to noncustodial father — Mother unwilling/unable to care for child L.A. (“Mother”) appeals an order of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, sitting as a juvenile court, which denied her exceptions to a family law magistrate’s ...

Child custody — Motion to modify — Material change in circumstances This is the second visit to this Court by James-Alain Laplanche and Denise Grimes concerning their twin children. Below, the circuit court found that Laplanche had failed to establish ...

Child custody — Legal custody — Holiday visitation schedule This appeal stems from an order of a trial judge sitting in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, who awarded appellant, Marva Cole (“Mother”), primary residential custody of Daughter, awarded appellee, ...

Child custody — Unsupervised visitation — Material change of circumstances John Durniak (“Father”) and his former spouse, Michelle Bourdelais (“Mother”) brings this case for our review amidst a long and tumultuous child custody dispute involving their minor daughters K and ...

Child custody — Motion to modify — Failure to file transcripts with appellate court Nathaniel M. Costley, Sr., appellant, and Christina M. Steiner, appellee, are the parents of N.C., a minor child.1 Mr. Costley appeals from two orders issued by ...