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HB 924

Family Law - Child Custody Evaluators - Qualifications

2025 Regular Session Introduced by C.T. Wilson

HB 924 would establish minimum qualifications for child custody evaluators in Maryland to standardize professional standards and increase evaluation reliability in custody determinations.

Withdrawn by Sponsor
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Bill Summary · HB 924

Legislative bill overview

HB 924 would establish minimum qualifications and standards for professionals who conduct child custody evaluations in Maryland family court cases. The bill appears designed to professionalize the custody evaluation process by setting credentials and competency requirements for evaluators who assess parental fitness and make recommendations to courts.

Why is this important

Child custody evaluations significantly influence judicial decisions affecting families and children's living arrangements. Standardizing evaluator qualifications could improve consistency, reduce bias, and enhance the reliability of assessments that shape custody outcomes, though it also could increase costs and reduce the available pool of evaluators.

Potential points of contention

  • Professional licensing requirements - Whether existing credentials (psychology, social work, etc.) are sufficient or if new specialized certification should be mandated, potentially limiting who can perform evaluations
  • Cost implications - Stricter qualifications could increase evaluation expenses for families, particularly low-income litigants, or create barriers to court access
  • Judicial discretion - Questions about whether statutory qualification standards might constrain judges' authority to appoint evaluators they deem appropriate for specific cases

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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