Opinion ID: 1957359
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Factors for a Finding of Exceptional Circumstances

Text: In support of its holding in respect to the case sub judice, the Circuit Court for Harford County examined the standards and guidelines that generate exceptional circumstances and found their application warranted placing custody with the maternal grandparents. In Hoffman, 280 Md. at 191, 372 A.2d at 593, we first aggregated these factors from a survey of this Court's earlier case law, and later as to extraordinary circumstances, affirmed their application in Shurupoff, 372 Md. at 646, 814 A.2d at 548. We stated in Ross v. Hoffman : The factors which emerge from our prior decisions which may be of probative value in determining the existence of exceptional circumstances include the [1] length of time the child has been away from the biological parent, [2] the age of the child when care was assumed by the third party, [3] the possible emotional effect on the child of a change of custody, [4] the period of time which elapsed before the parent sought to reclaim the child, [5] the nature and strength of the ties between the child and the third party custodian, [6] the intensity and genuineness of the parent's desire to have the child, [7] the stability and certainty as to the child's future in the custody of the parent. Hoffman, 280 Md. at 191, 372 A.2d at 593 (alterations added). The need to find exceptional circumstances is derived from the belief that extreme care must be exercised in determining a custody placement other than with a fit parent. The circuit court examined each of the Hoffman guidelines in turn, and, in its opinion, found Mr. McDermott's relationship with Patrick to be wanting, particularly in relation to his absences from the child's life while at sea. The circuit court presented the following summary in its September 2003 memorandum opinion, which stated, in relevant part: 1. The length of time the child has been away from the biological parent. Patrick as been in the custody of his grandparents since February 13, 2002 pursuant to an Order by consent granting temporary joint legal custody to the Doughertys and the McDermotts, with primary residence to the Doughertys. Notwithstanding the court's order, Mr. McDermott had de facto custody of Patrick from August 2002 until December 2002, at which time he returned to sea duty. Patrick has also spent considerable time with his father during the summer of 2003. As previously noted, there have been several other periods of time in which Patrick was in the custody of his grandparents or his mother, most being periods of time that Mr. McDermott was not residing in the State of Maryland but was pursuing his occupation as a merchant seaman. When Mr. McDermott has been present in Maryland, he has had regular and frequent contact with Patrick. 2. The age of the child when care was assumed by the third party. Patrick is now eight years old; he was six years old when the temporary custody order granting joint custody to the Doughertys and the McDermotts was signed on in February 2002. From May 2001 through January 2002, Patrick was in the custody of his [mother] Ms. Dougherty, and prior thereto, in the custody of his father when he was not at sea. Essentially, Patrick has moved around quite a bit since he was born. He has lived with both parents at different times, and sometimes with the Doughertys, and his primary caretakers at one time or another were not necessarily those persons who were named as such in the various, applicable court orders. 3. The possible emotional effect on the child of a change in custody. It is clear from all testimony that Patrick has strong emotional attachments to all members of his family, both parents and grandparents. [Patrick's court-appointed attorney] testified that Patrick is doing well in school and that his school ... represents an anchor in his life. [Patrick's court-appointed attorney] also offered that the Doughertys have given Patrick the stability that he needs.... Custody of Patrick has been changed several times during his short life; at this point, continuity and stability are important considerations before this Court. Although he has resided with his maternal grandparents since January 2002, he continues to have regular and unfettered visitation with his mother and father. The court is concerned that should Mr. McDermott be granted custody of Patrick, his propensity for using Patrick as a pawn in the conflict between him and Ms. Dougherty, and now the Doughertys, will obstruct natural family relationships with the maternal side of Patrick's family. 4. The period of time which elapsed before the parent sought to reclaim the child. Generally, when Mr. McDermott has relinquished custody of Patrick, it has been because he went to sea. His periods at sea have lasted several months, after which he has sought to regain custody of Patrick. 5. The nature and strength of the ties between the child and the third party custodian. There is no question that Patrick is very close to the Doughertys. His maternal grandparents have always been a part of Patrick's life, and, during many periods, have cared for him exclusively. 6. The intensity and genuineness of the parent's desire to have the child. It is clear from Mr. McDermott's testimony that he feels that Patrick's interests are served by being in his custody, that his care and custody would be superior to any other family member, and that he has a genuine interest in raising Patrick. However, the court is unable to agree with the totality of Mr. McDermott's self-assessment. It has appeared at various time during these proceedings that Mr. McDermott's interest in having custody of Patrick was not strictly limited to his desire to care for Patrick, but also his desire to control Ms. Dougherty, and that he has used Patrick as a pawn in the ongoing engagement between Ms. Dougherty and himself.... Although Mr. McDermott indicated ... that he would remain in Harford County should he gain sole custody of Patrick, the court is unconvinced of his sincerity in this regard. 7. The stability and certainty as to the child's future in the custody of the parent. Mr. McDermott was initially awarded custody in this case. For the most part, custody was changed first to Ms. Dougherty and then to the Doughertys because of Mr. McDermott's lengthy periods of absence from the State due to his employment as a merchant seaman. It would appear that Mr. McDermott's periodic absences and relinquishment of custody [have] had adverse effects on Patrick. For example, shortly after Ms. Dougherty's arrest and subsequent incarceration in early 2002, Mr. McDermott signed onto ship going to Africa and not expected to return until summer 2002.... [42] It is self-evident that a revolving door of custodians would not be in Patrick's best interest, now or in the future. [Alterations added.] [Footnote added.] [Some emphasis added.] We conclude that the circuit court inappropriately found that the absences inherent in Mr. McDermott's job requirements constituted exceptional circumstances. First, we note that, although the Circuit Court for Harford County expressed some reservation as to Mr. McDermott's ability to provide a consistent and stable environment for his child, it failed to find Mr. McDermott to be an unfit parent [43] and it is presumed that fit parents act in the best interests of their children. See Parham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584, 602, 99 S.Ct. 2493, 2504, 61 L.Ed.2d 101 (1979). As we explained in In re Yve S., 373 Md. 551, 819 A.2d 1030 (2003): `The law's concept of the family rests on a presumption that parents possess what a child lacks in maturity, experience, and capacity for judgment required for making life's difficult decisions. More important, historically it has recognized that natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children.' Id. at 572, 819 A.2d at 1042 (quoting Parham, 442 U.S. at 602, 99 S.Ct. at 2504). Mr. McDermott's parental fitness having been established, or more precisely, not adjudged to be lacking, the inquiry, according to Hoffman, shifts to examining whether any exceptional circumstances exist that might overcome the presumption favoring a fit parent's rearing of his child: When the dispute is between a biological parent and a third party, it is presumed that the child's best interest is [served] by custody in the parent. That presumption is overcome and such custody will be denied if (a) the parent is unfit to have custody, or (b) if there are such exceptional circumstances as make such custody detrimental to the best interest of the child. Therefore, in parent-third party disputes over custody, it is only upon a determination by the equity court that the parent is unfit or that there are exceptional circumstances which make custody in the parent detrimental to the best interest of the child, that the court need inquire into the best interest of the child in order to make a proper custodial disposition. Hoffman, 280 Md. at 178-79, 372 A.2d at 587 (alteration added) (emphasis added). It is in this latter phase of the inquiry that the circuit court erred by inappropriately equating exceptional circumstances with the absences occasioned by Mr. McDermott's merchant marine work. By finding that the dictates of Mr. McDermott's employment voided his right to be a custodial parent, the circuit court overlooked its own lack of a finding of unfitness and failed to accord petitioner with the presumptive benefits of a natural parent, especially a fit natural parent. In Ross v. Pick, 199 Md. 341, 86 A.2d 463 (1952), this Court explained the requisite showing to overcome the presumption that a child's best interests are served by the child's remaining in the custody of the parent: Where parents claim the custody of a child, there is a prima facie presumption that the child's welfare will be best subserved in the care and custody of its parents rather than in the custody of others, and the burden is then cast upon the parties opposing them to show the contrary. Id. at 351, 86 A.2d at 468. See also Shurupoff, 372 Md. at 662, 814 A.2d at 557 (reiterating that it is presumed that the child's best interest lies with parental custody subject to a showing that the parent is fit or that no exceptional circumstances exist). Accordingly, it was the Doughertys' burden to show that exceptional circumstances existed for a granting of custody in their favor; it was not Mr. McDermott's burden to demonstrate the absence of exceptional circumstances. Indeed, it is a weighty task (or should be) for a third party seeking custody to demonstrate exceptional circumstances which overcome the presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of his or her children and which overcome the constitutional right of a parent to raise his or her own children. [44] In determining that Mr. McDermott's job duties at sea rose to the level of exceptional circumstances, however, the circuit court improperly penalized a fit parent who desired custody of his son, and placed on the parent the burden of disproving that which is questionably not even a proper exceptional circumstances consideration.