Thank you for joining me. My name is LaSheena Williams, and I am a Maryland family law attorney. My firm helps our clients take control of out-of-control domestic situations.
LGBTQ+ Specific Concerns
Today we will be discussing custody battles regarding LGBTQ+ concerns. If you are currently in an LGBTQ+ relationship, parenting issues may be something of a gray area for you, but the fact of the matter is that if you are in a relationship and you have a child you do have parental rights for your child and those rights should not be impacted whether or not you’re co-parent and you are in a romantic relationship anymore or not. If there was an adoption, if you have acted as a de facto parent, if you have acted in that role, and you have taken on financial responsibilities including financial responsibilities and legal obligations for that child, it’s important to know that you have rights and that you need to speak with an attorney to make sure that you understand your rights so that you can preserve your relationship with your children.
Third Party Custody
Custody laws in Maryland are fairly new and quite frankly it’s still essentially the Wild Wild West. New laws regarding third party custody are coming out every year. It’s important to note that you have rights under third party custody laws in Maryland and what your parental rights are regarding your children.
De Facto Parent
In Maryland, there is something called de facto parenting, where if you hold yourself out as a parent, you take on the responsibilities as a parent, you’ve essentially acted as that child’s parent, and you want to be that child’s parent. You may have parental rights and you may seek custody or even child support regarding that child or those children. It’s important to note that that is an option you may have, and you need to speak with your attorney to make sure that you meet the criteria based on the current laws in Maryland.
Maintaining Parental Rights
It’s important to note that when you want to maintain your rights to a child it goes beyond simply spending time with them, helping them with their homework, and making choices for them. You also must have and maintain your financial obligations to them. For example, if you are found to be a de facto parent you may be required to pay child support for that child. You may have to help pay for medical expenses, private school costs, extraordinary medical costs because you are a parent. Being a parent isn’t just the fun times, it’s also the hard times and making sure that you are providing for your child no matter what. So, you need to speak with an attorney so that you can fully understand your obligations as well as your rights and so that you can know what you need to do to move forward.
If you have any questions about child custody and how those issues intertwine with the LGBTQ+ concerns, contact the Law Office of LaSheena M. Williams at (301) 778 – 9950 or leave an online request for a consultation.
