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<section article="gfl" article_name="Family Law" number="9-201" title_number="9" title_name="Child Custody and Visitation" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Legal and Physical Custody – Judicial Determinations">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the provisions of §§ 9–101, 9–101.1, and 9–101.2 of this title, in determining what legal custody and physical custody is in the best interest of a child, the court may consider the following factors:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>stability and the foreseeable health and welfare of the child;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>frequent, regular, and continuing contact with parents who can act in the child’s best interest;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>whether and how parents who do not live together will share the rights and responsibilities of raising the child;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the child’s relationship with each parent, any siblings, other relatives, and individuals who are or may become important in the child’s life;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the child’s physical and emotional security and protection from exposure to conflict and violence;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>the child’s developmental needs, including physical safety, emotional security, positive self–image, interpersonal skills, and intellectual and cognitive growth;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>the day–to–day needs of the child, including education, socialization, culture and religion, food, shelter, clothing, and mental and physical health;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>how to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>place the child’s needs above the parents’ needs;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>protect the child from the negative effects of any conflict between the parents; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>maintain the child’s relationship with the parents, siblings, other relatives, or other individuals who have or likely may have a significant relationship with the child;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>the age of the child;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>any military deployment of a parent and its effect, if any, on the parent–child relationship;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <text>any prior court orders or agreements;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="12">
      <text>each parent’s role and tasks related to the child and how, if at all, those roles and tasks have changed;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="13">
      <text>the location of each parent’s home as it relates to the parent’s ability to coordinate parenting time, school, and activities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="14">
      <text>the parents’ relationship with each other, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>how they communicate with each other;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>whether they can co–parent without disrupting the child’s social and school life; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>how the parents will resolve any disputes in the future without the need for court intervention;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="15">
      <text>the child’s preference, if age–appropriate; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="16">
      <text>any other factor that the court considers appropriate in determining how best to serve the physical, developmental, and emotional needs of the child.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The court shall articulate its findings of fact on the record or in a written opinion, including the consideration of each factor listed in subsection (a) of this section and any other factor that the court considered.</text>
  </level>
</section>
