Category Archives: Family Law
How Are Pets Treated In A Maryland Divorce?
Washington D.C. recently passed a law allowing family court judges to consider “the best interests of the pet” when adjudicating a divorce case. This is the same standard that is used for children in all states across the country. While D.C. is in the minority, there is a growing trend across the U.S. to… Read More »
The Best Interests Of The Child Standard Under Maryland Law
Many years ago, the courts would often favor mothers in child custody hearings under the belief that children needed their mothers more than their fathers as they were growing up. The law in all 50 states has evolved from that standard and now employs another: the best interests of the children. In many states,… Read More »
The Intentional Dissipation Of Marital Assets As A Factor In A Maryland Divorce
In some cases, a spouse can be accused of intentionally dissipating marital assets or, in other words, spending money from the marital estate on things that are intentionally wasteful. When this happens, the court can consider the intentional dissipation of marital assets when dividing assets or awarding alimony. If you believe your spouse has… Read More »
How Are Property And Debts Divided During A Maryland Divorce?
One of the key aspects of a Maryland divorce is the division of property and debts that were acquired during the marriage. Maryland is considered an equitable distribution state which means that property is divided between the spouses in a manner that is considered equitable to both parties. That does not necessarily mean that… Read More »
Does Maryland Require Mediation In Divorce?
There are several ways to dissolve a marriage in the state of Maryland. Traditionally, parties litigated their divorces in an adversarial format in which they made arguments before a judge. The judge would render final decisions on key issues such as property division, alimony, child custody, and child support. Today, a backlog of divorce… Read More »
Will I Receive Alimony In My Maryland Divorce?
When a couple has been married for a long time, it’s not uncommon for one spouse to make monthly payments to the other to help support them after the divorce is finalized. Alimony is one aspect of divorce that either gets settled during mediation or through litigation. The courts will weigh several factors when… Read More »
What Must You Prove To Modify A Custody Agreement In Maryland?
In Maryland, child custody refers to the legal and physical arrangements made for the upbringing of a child. In any divorce case involving children, a final order is entered detailing each parent’s legal and physical custody rights with regard to each child. The parent who does not have primary custody still has visitation or… Read More »
What Is A Protective Order In Maryland?
According to Maryland statute, a protective order is an order issued by the court that prevents an individual from committing certain acts against another individual. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as a restraining order. In this article, the Maryland divorce lawyers at Schlaich & Thompson Chartered will discuss protective orders and how they… Read More »
Non-Marital Property In A Maryland Divorce
When a couple divorces in Maryland, all of their property is divided into two categories: marital property and non-marital property. Non-marital property was acquired before the date of the marriage or through inheritance or gift after the marriage; whereas, marital property is any other property that was acquired during the marriage. In other cases,… Read More »
Grounds For Divorce Updated Back In 2023
The Maryland legislature made major changes to family law back in 2023 doing away with limited divorce and updating the grounds for filing a divorce. Prior to October of 2023, Maryland law permitted two types of divorce: limited and absolute. As the name suggests, an absolute divorce was a permanent severing of all legal… Read More »
