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Maryland Grandparents Rights

Case Law Provides Precedents for Determining Best Interests

By , About.com Guide

Maryland statutes address the subject of grandparent visitation in a single sentence, which simply states that a court may grant "reasonable visitation" to a grandparent if it is in the best interests of the child. The statute does not provide any means of determining the best interests of the child. Those criteria have been set forth in case law.

One of the important cases in Maryland is Koshko v. Haining. In this case, the Maryland statute was challenged by the parents as unconstitutional under Troxel v. Granville, which states that there is a presumption that fit parents make decisions that are in the best interests of their children. The Maryland Court of Appeals found that this presumption is "implicit" in the Maryland statute. The court further stated that in order for this presumption to be negated, there must be a finding of parental unfitness or "exceptional circumstances." The exceptional circumstances require a finding that a lack of grandparent visitation would have a detrimental effect upon the child. See Maryland statute. Look for Section 9.102. See also Koshko v. Haining.

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