The Law Offices of Kathleen Duckett McCann, LLC

Physical custody pertains to a person’s right to spend time with his or her child, grandchild, or other child with whom a person has close ties. The court has the authority to order joint physical custody whereby both persons have the right to have the child at least one third of the time; or primary physical custody whereby one person has the right to have the child more than two thirds of the time.

Legal custody involves a person’s authority to make major decisions regarding the overall welfare of the child. Such decisions include, but are not necessarily limited to, the child’s education, choice of pediatrician, decisions regarding medical treatment, religious training, mental health services, and types of activities in which the child is permitted to engage. The court has authority to order joint legal custody whereby persons have equal decision-making authority, sole legal custody whereby one individual has sole decision-making authority, or tie breaker authority whereby, in the event of a disagreement between parents, one parent has tie breaking authority to make the decision. A large portion of Ms. McCann’s practice involves obtaining, protecting and preserving a person’s right to have physical access to the child, as well as decision-making authority regarding the welfare of the child. She has extensive experience successfully representing parents, grandparents, and other closely related third parties in custody cases. Ms. McCann also has experience serving as court-appointed attorney representing children caught in high conflict custody cases. She is sensitive to the toll that these cases take on everyone involved, especially the children, and she strives to assist her clients in resolving their issues with the least amount of conflict possible. When a case is incapable of resolution through settlement, she has the experience and expertise to present her clients’ cases to the court through effective and zealous advocacy.

Maryland law requires separated parents to support their children in accordance with their combined standards of living. Typically, one parent pays the other parent child support pursuant to a legal formula under Maryland law called the Maryland Child Support Guidelines. Ms. McCann has the ability and expertise to calculate and advocate the correct amount of child support under the law.