Emergency Child Custody: Child Custody Disputes Over Holidays

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

It is that time of year again- “The Holidays.” The period of time which makes even the most well-adjusted, intact family flutter with the normal anxiety of the season, namely shopping for gifts, preparing homes for guests, spending money, arranging for adult children’s return from colleges.

Heap on top of the ordinary anxious frenzy, the issue of a child custody dispute and what do you get? Stressed out. Over-whelmed. Angry. So what to do if you have an emergency child custody disagreement with your child’s other parent? Can it be resolved in time for the holidays? How will a judge decide your case? Will a judge decide your case?

Sad to say that a parental emergency to have a child for a holiday is unlikely to be the kind of emergency that gets heard in time for the holidays at this juncture. Emergency situations are often limited to situations where irreparable harm or bodily injury may occur without judicial intervention, for instance, parental kidnappings, parental disagreements over an emergency medical decision, domestic violence situations. Missing your child’s first Thanksgiving or Christmas may not qualify as an emergency, depending on the judge, and perhaps, depending on the expertise of your lawyer.

If you had a dispute over holiday child custody, in the State of Maryland, most times parents will be ordered to participate in mediation before a judge will give you a court hearing on the matter. So why not head to mediation in the first place? Call your family law mediator. That is the solution for resolution. The family law mediator is trained to assist families to resolve child custody matters – quickly in time for the holidays! The money you save from avoiding litigation can be used to pay off those holiday bills.

Mediation with Nancy Caplan at Maryland Divorce Mediation Website can be scheduled during regular business hours, evenings and weekends. That means you won’t have to take time off from work. The court system simply cannot provide that kind of convenience and control over your schedule and life.

So if you are facing a holiday child custody battle, lay down your arms and come to the negotiating table to arrive at a solution which will assure that you have a Happy Thanksgiving, a joyous winter break, a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. In Maryland, call (410) 296-2190 to schedule mediation with Nancy Caplan, Esquire, attorney and mediator located in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Nancy Caplan, Esquire is an attorney and mediator located in Baltimore County, Maryland. Ms. Caplan’s practice focuses primarily on family law mediation for separation and divorce, unmarried parents, same sex parenting issues and all other custody disputes.