{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-family-law-5-3a-18","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Family Law § 5–3A–18","heading":"","body":"(a) A court may grant a guardianship of a child only if:\n(1) each of the child’s living parents consents:\n(i) in writing; or\n(ii) by failure to timely file notice of objection after being served with a show–cause order in accordance with this subtitle;\n(2) an administrative, executive, or judicial body of a state or other jurisdiction has granted a governmental unit or person other than a parent the power to consent to adoption, and the governmental unit or person consents; or\n(3) parental rights have been terminated in compliance with the laws of a state or other jurisdiction, as described in § 5–3A–05 of this subtitle.\n(b) A governmental unit or person:\n(1) may condition consent or acquiescence on adoption into a specific family that a child placement agency has approved for the placement; but\n(2) may not condition consent or acquiescence on any factor other than placement into a specific family.","path":["Article - Family Law"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gfl\u0026section=5-3A-18","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:58:17Z","sha256":"0ce3436d8b86694fc6548c0a60457079c64fdc643e7a22596bffce94994018f7","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-family-law-5-3a-17","next":"us-md/md.-code-family-law-5-3a-19"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}