child custody laws in MD

Talk to the mother about the situation, if at all possible. Maybe what your daughter says is entirely true. Maybe it is the product of normal conflict between a teenager and a parent. Maybe it is some of both. Most probably, whatever the two of you can work out will be better for everyone than what a court would decide. If you and the mother are married and there is no order awarding physical custody to her, you have an equal legal right to have your daughter live with you. That having been said, just not returning her at the agreed-upon end of visitation can result in a flurry of legal activities, and the court may look with disfavor on what you did. If you want to pursue an order for physical or legal custody or both, you would need to file a petition with the Circuit Court. The court will decide the matter based upon what is in your daughter's best interest. It would be better to hire an attorney to represent you (custody matters are usually complicated), but if you want to do it yourself, the forms are available at http://www.courts.state.md.us/family/forms/domrel.html Best of luck to you and your daughter.