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Legal Information: Maryland

Parental Kidnapping

Laws current as of August 19, 2024

If I just fled to Maryland with my child, can I get temporary emergency custody?

A judge may grant temporary emergency custody without the other parent being notified ahead of time in extreme situations. If you and your child have just arrived in Maryland from another state, you will need to prove to the judge that temporary custody is necessary in an emergency to protect your child because you, your child, or your child’s sibling has experienced, or is being threatened with, mistreatment or abuse.1 You may also be able to get temporary custody as part of a domestic violence protective order.2

1 MD Code, Fam. Law § 9.5-204(a)
2 See MD Code, Fam. Law §§ 4-504.1; 4-505; 4-506

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