Child Custody Agreement - Maryland

MARYLAND CHILD CUSTODY AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made by [PARENT A FULL NAME] (Parent A) and [PARENT B FULL NAME] (Parent B) on [__/__/____]. The parents intend a safe, workable arrangement for the children identified below. They ask any court reviewing this Agreement to consider the children's best interests under Md. Code, Fam. Law § 9-201.

Existing case or order, if any: Circuit Court for [COUNTY], case no. [CASE NUMBER]; order dated [__/__/____].

1. Children and contact information

Each parent will promptly give the other an updated address, telephone number, and email address, subject to any protective order or court-approved confidentiality arrangement.

2. Legal custody and decisions

Select one: ☐ The parents will share legal custody and consult one another before major decisions. ☐ Parent A will have sole legal custody. ☐ Parent B will have sole legal custody. ☐ Other allocation: [DESCRIBE].

Major decisions include school placement, nonemergency medical and mental-health treatment, and other matters the parents list here: [DECISION CATEGORIES AND ANY TIE-BREAKING METHOD]. A parent who has the child may make routine day-to-day decisions. In an emergency, that parent may act to protect the child and will notify the other parent as soon as reasonably possible.

The parents will exchange relevant school, medical, and activity information. Each will sign any consent reasonably needed to permit access to records, subject to applicable law and any court order. Neither parent will represent that this Agreement overrides a confidentiality or safety restriction.

3. Regular parenting schedule

Physical custody arrangement: ☐ Shared ☐ Primarily with Parent A ☐ Primarily with Parent B ☐ Other: [DESCRIBE].

School-year pattern, if helpful: ☐ Alternating weeks ☐ 2-2-3 rotation ☐ 5-2-2-5 rotation ☐ Alternating weekends with a midweek visit ☐ Custom schedule below. Residence used for school enrollment and official mail: [ADDRESS OR AGREED PROCEDURE], subject to any existing order.

The parent beginning a period of parenting time will provide transportation unless the parents agree otherwise in writing: [ALTERNATE TRANSPORT PLAN]. If school or childcare is the exchange place, the school calendar controls the exchange time. A parent delayed for more than [NUMBER] minutes will notify the other promptly.

Summer schedule: ☐ Regular schedule continues ☐ The following summer schedule replaces it: [DATES, PARENTING PERIODS, AND EXCHANGES]. Childcare or third-party care during a parent's time: [CONTACTS, NOTICE, AND ANY AGREED OFFER OF CARE TO THE OTHER PARENT].

4. Holidays and vacations

The holiday schedule below takes precedence over the regular schedule. A holiday ends at the time listed; the regular schedule then resumes unless the parents write a different exchange time.

Each parent may take [NUMBER] weeks of vacation parenting time annually after giving [NUMBER] days' written notice of dates, destination, and contact details. If requested dates conflict, priority will be determined by [RULE]. Overnight travel outside [AREA] requires [NOTICE OR CONSENT PROCEDURE], subject to any court order.

5. Communication and cooperation

The child may have reasonable telephone or video contact with the other parent at [TIMES OR FREQUENCY], taking account of school and sleep. The parents will communicate about the child's health, school, and schedule through [EMAIL / APP / OTHER METHOD]. Neither parent will use the child to carry disputes or messages between them.

Additional care and safety arrangements, if needed: [SPECIAL EDUCATION OR HEALTH PLAN; THERAPY OR MEDICATION HANDOFF; SUPERVISED OR NEUTRAL EXCHANGE LOCATION; APPROVED PICKUP PERSONS]. The child's ordinary clothing, school supplies, and essential medication will travel with the child as needed: [DETAILS]. Each parent will follow any protective or supervised-access order.

A parent will tell the other promptly about a serious illness, injury, or safety event involving the child. Each parent will keep the other informed of school and healthcare appointments and may attend them unless a court order provides otherwise.

6. Relocation and changes to the schedule

The parents will discuss a proposed move of a parent's or child's permanent residence as early as reasonably practicable. If a custody or visitation order includes a notice condition under Md. Code, Fam. Law § 9-106, each parent must follow that order's recipients, form, content, and deadline. The court may require at least 90 days' written notice and must waive its statutory notice requirement on a showing of abuse risk or other good cause. A parent seeking such relief may ask the court to address notice without disclosing protected location information to the other parent.

For a temporary schedule change, the requesting parent will give written notice as soon as practical and propose replacement time. An agreed temporary change does not permanently amend this Agreement. A proposed permanent change will be written, signed by both parents, and submitted to the court if an existing order must be modified. Under Md. Code, Fam. Law § 9-202, the court decides whether a material change affecting the child's needs or the parents' ability to meet them warrants an order modification in the child's best interest.

7. Support and expenses

Child support: ☐ Governed by existing order dated [__/__/____] ☐ Addressed in a separate proposed agreement or order ☐ Other: [DESCRIBE]. This Agreement does not waive any child's support or change an existing support order.

The parents agree to allocate the following expenses, subject to any existing order:

Health insurance for the child: [PARENT / EXISTING ORDER / POLICY INFORMATION]. Tax dependency arrangement, if the parents agree to one: [DESCRIBE, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE TAX LAW AND ORDERS].

Neither parent must reimburse an optional expense outside this table unless the parents approve it in writing first, except for an emergency expense needed to protect the child.

8. Resolving disagreements and court orders

The parents will first try to resolve ordinary scheduling disputes in writing. They may use mediation if both agree and it is safe and appropriate. Either parent may seek court relief when needed to protect the child or enforce an existing order; this Agreement does not impose a waiting period before seeking relief.

Any current custody or protective order controls if it conflicts with this Agreement. If the parents ask a court to adopt these terms, they will provide the completed Agreement to the court. A signed agreement alone does not modify an existing custody or visitation order; the court determines whether to enter a new or modified order under Maryland law.

9. Entire agreement and signatures

This document expresses the parents' current agreement about custody and parenting time. A permanent amendment must be in writing and signed by both parents, and any change to a court order requires court action. The remainder of the Agreement remains in effect if one provision cannot be enforced, to the extent consistent with the child's best interests and any court order.

Parent A signature: __________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Printed name: [PARENT A FULL NAME]

Parent B signature: __________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Printed name: [PARENT B FULL NAME]

Court approval or case reference, if applicable: [________________________________]