Md. Code, Estates and Trusts § 1-208
This is the official text of Md. Code, Estates and Trusts § 1-208, part of Maryland’s Code, Estates and Trusts — governs wills, trusts, and probate.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§1–208.
Official statutory text
(a) A child born to or conceived by individuals who are not married or in a registered domestic partnership is the child of the child’s mother.
(b) A child born to or conceived by individuals who are not married or in a registered domestic partnership is the child of the individual who did not give birth to the child if:
(1) The individual has been judicially determined to be the child’s parent in an action brought under Title 5, Subtitle 10 of the Family Law Article, and that determination has not been modified or set aside;
(2) The individual and the child’s mother consented to the conception of the child by means of assisted reproduction with the shared express intent to be the parents of the child, subject to the conditions under § 1–205(a)(2) of this subtitle if the child is conceived after the death of the individual; or
(3) The child’s mother identifies the individual as the other biological parent of the child and the individual agrees.
(c) There is a rebuttable presumption that a child born to or conceived by individuals who are not married or in a registered domestic partnership is the child of an individual who did not give birth to the child if the individual:
(1) Has acknowledged himself or herself, in writing, to be a parent of the child;
(2) Has openly and notoriously recognized the child to be the individual’s child; or
(3) Has subsequently married or registered a domestic partnership with the mother and has acknowledged himself or herself, orally or in writing, to be a parent of the child.
(b) A child born to or conceived by individuals who are not married or in a registered domestic partnership is the child of the individual who did not give birth to the child if:
(1) The individual has been judicially determined to be the child’s parent in an action brought under Title 5, Subtitle 10 of the Family Law Article, and that determination has not been modified or set aside;
(2) The individual and the child’s mother consented to the conception of the child by means of assisted reproduction with the shared express intent to be the parents of the child, subject to the conditions under § 1–205(a)(2) of this subtitle if the child is conceived after the death of the individual; or
(3) The child’s mother identifies the individual as the other biological parent of the child and the individual agrees.
(c) There is a rebuttable presumption that a child born to or conceived by individuals who are not married or in a registered domestic partnership is the child of an individual who did not give birth to the child if the individual:
(1) Has acknowledged himself or herself, in writing, to be a parent of the child;
(2) Has openly and notoriously recognized the child to be the individual’s child; or
(3) Has subsequently married or registered a domestic partnership with the mother and has acknowledged himself or herself, orally or in writing, to be a parent of the child.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a probate matter in Maryland?
See all Maryland Probate lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.