Category Archives: Family Law
How Does Maryland Define Family and Marital Property?
In order to establish clear guidelines for property division during a divorce, Maryland employs several definitions for family and marital property. As highlighted in Code of Maryland 8-201, there are three types of property that are important during the divorce process — family home, family use personal property and marital property. Before progressing any… Read More »
Four Types of Child Visitation Schedules in Maryland
If a divorced couple has minor children in Maryland, then the parents must establish a child visitation schedule. These schedules help break down the specifics of child support, ensuring that both parents play a role in their children’s lives. In many cases, the parents are able to work together and isolate a mutually agreeable… Read More »
Limited Divorce vs. Absolute Divorce in Maryland
There are two different types of divorce in Maryland — limited divorce and absolute divorce. While many characteristics and requirements are the same for both types of divorce, there are notable differences between these legal devices. Limited Divorce in Maryland As established in Maryland Family Code 7-102, a state court can declare a limited… Read More »
How Does Maryland Divide Marital Property During a Divorce?
When a married couple goes through the formal divorce process in Maryland, the court decides on a fair and balanced “equitable distribution” arrangement for property division. This is different from the “community property” approach in certain U.S. states — where the court simply divides all of the married couple’s assets in half. In Maryland,… Read More »
Emergency Child Custody Orders in Maryland
Whatever the individual circumstances of a child custody dispute, Maryland law prioritizes the best interests of the child or children involved. When there is an emergency or other dangerous situation which presents a threat to a child, then the Maryland courts have the power to intervene to protect the child or children involved when… Read More »
What is the Maryland Approach to Alimony?
In the process of completing a divorce, a Maryland court may decide to award alimony from one spouse to the other spouse. A type of support payment, a court usually awards alimony to address an imbalance of earning power and/or resources between the spouses. Regular alimony payments can help a spouse rehabilitate, recover and… Read More »
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements in Maryland
In modern times it is increasingly common for spouses to enter into a prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. In most cases, these agreements serve to protect the finances of one or both spouses. To provide a broad overview of this topic, the following sections will break down important characteristics of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements under… Read More »
Void and Voidable Marriages in Maryland
The topic for examination today centers on a commonly misunderstand section of Maryland family law – void and voidable marriages. As the following sections will explore, void and voidable marriages are not considered legal marriages. Under certain conditions, a court of law may declare such marriages invalid. Void Marriages in Maryland Void marriages are… Read More »
How Does Maryland Deal with Child Support?
First established in 1990, the state of Maryland instituted guidelines to ensure that divorced or separated parents are responsible for child support. The standard formula involves a calculation of each parent’s gross income. To help understand the landscape of child support in Maryland, the following sections will provide an overview of general rules for… Read More »
What is the Maryland Approach to No-Fault Divorce?
The subject for discussion involves an exploration of no-fault divorce in Maryland. In essential terms, no-fault divorce involves a decision by either spouse to end their marriage for any reason. This is different from at-fault divorce, where there is conduct by either spouse that justifies termination of marriage, such as adultery or domestic violence…. Read More »
