I have full responsibility for my two kids according to the rules of my divorce. I also get to decide when their mom can visit them.
Their mom has come back into their lives after dealing with mental health problems for a long time. She says she still has the right to see the kids and know about their lives. I’m not sure if she’s right. Before I pay my lawyer, I want to know if she has any legal rights.
My kids are old enough that what they want matters.
We live in Maryland.
In Maryland, the law generally presumes that both natural parents are the natural custodians of their children, and it does not favor either the mother or father. After a divorce, either parent may petition for custody or visitation rights. The court’s primary consideration is the “best interests” of the child, which includes evaluating various factors to determine what is best for the child or children.
Even if you have full responsibility according to your divorce decree, the mother of your children may still have rights to visitation unless her parental rights have been legally terminated.
The court often encourages involvement from both parents, unless there is a reason to believe that contact with a parent would be detrimental to the child’s well-being.
It’s important to note that custody and visitation arrangements can be modified as circumstances change.
If the mother of your children has addressed her mental health issues and can demonstrate that her involvement would be beneficial for the children, the court may consider granting her visitation rights.
No, full custody does not terminate parental rights. It means one parent has primary responsibility for the child, but the other parent still retains their legal rights and may have visitation or other parental responsibilities. Termination of parental rights is a separate legal process.