“How long will it take for my case to be finalized?” This is a question I often hear when I meet with clients. My response is always: “it depends.” As an attorney, I can only control portions of the process, which can cause frustrating – and expensive – delays. Here are three of the most…
Read MoreLet’s talk frankly here: as I’ve mentioned before, Judges are human and each has their own life history and experiences that might influence the factors they must consider when determining what custody arrangement is in a child’s best interest. The court cannot give someone custody based on the fact that that person is a mother…
Read MoreIf you are thinking about a separation or divorce in the State of Maryland, you must know what your rights are and what the possible consequences and benefits are before you even consider a separation or negotiate an agreement. It does not matter whether your issues relate to custody, visitation, support, property distribution, grounds for…
Read MoreIf your or your ex violated a provision in your court order (or an agreement that was incorporated into a court order) after attempting to address and resolve the issue with the other side, if the issue has not been resolved, the grieved party can file what the court calls a Petition for Contempt against…
Read MoreIn family law cases (divorce, custody, child support, etc.) unless you practice in a county that only has one judge, you will not know who your judge will be until the day before the merits hearing (the final hearing) which is approximately 9 months to a year after you file. While in theory each judge…
Read MoreInstead of having a court decide what custody arrangement is in the best interest of your children and/or how your assets should be divided, did you know that you can enter into a Marital Settlement Agreement? With a Marital Settlement Agreement, the parties can put in any and all terms they want, even reach agreements that the court…
Read MoreSixteen years after Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000), grandparent visitation is alive and well in Maryland. In Troxel, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor noted, “The demographic changes of the past century makes it difficult to speak of an average American family. The composition of families varies greatly from household to household.” Indeed, the last…
Read MoreSometimes parents are unable to agree upon where their children should primarily reside (or which parent their children should live with) when they have separated or have filed for divorce. When there is no agreement and the issue of custody/parenting time cannot be settled, litigation ensues. Custody litigation is an emotional process for all involved.…
Read MoreWhat exactly is a pretrial conference? There are many stops on the road before a divorce trial takes place. Typically you will have at least two court appearances, if not more, before the merits hearing. One of those court appearance is a pretrial conference or sometimes called a settlement conference. At the pretrial conference, a…
Read MoreDivorce does not have to be a battle and there is so much more to the process than just hire attorneys and go to court. Did you know that it IS possible to get a divorce without ever setting foot in a courtroom? Not only is it possible, the court would prefer that! This post…
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