Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland

please someone help sort out this mess!!!

My daughters father and I were never married. He was a junkie, is a alcoholic, has been in jail, and is part of a the Pagans. Up until 3 years ago he showed no interest in my daughter due to his habit. Then he stopped using drugs supposedly and got married. My daughter started vistation with him. 2 years ago after I graduated college I had a nervous breakdown and turned over temporary custody to my mom. My mother continued visits with her father against my wishes but we later found out he was being abusive towards his wife, to my daughter and drinking heavily. I moved to Oregon and took her with me and have ended unsupervised visitation with him and put my daughter in therapy. He never calls, he only calls to harass her. My daughter is supposed to go home for a visit to her grandparents but I am afraid to send her to Maryland. We do have a child support order in effect which he has never paid. Was it legal for me to leave the state since I have not as of yet petitioned the court for custody to be reinstated?

How can I refuse him visitation?


Asked on 6/12/05, 10:35 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Sher Wagshal and Sher

Re: please someone help sort out this mess!!!

If you formally signed over visitation to your mother without a termination date, legally it's up to her to permit or deny visitation, unless there is a court order for visitation. There was nothing preventing you from moving to Oregon as long as you weren't restricted from doing so by court order. You should regain legal custody so that you will have better control of the situation.

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Answered on 6/14/05, 11:25 am


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