Maryland Divorce Lawyer Blog

Civil or Criminal? Direct or Constructive? The Different Forms of Contempt of Court in Maryland

March 31, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

In divorce or other family law cases, the best path forward is to work collaboratively with your ex (or soon-to-be-ex) spouse to resolve all disputes, and to follow all of the orders the trial judge hands down. When that does not matter, contempt of court proceedings can result. If you face a contempt charge, it is essential to know what to expect, as well as what the court can and cannot do. Obtaining this knowledge and securing effective advocacy against the contempt charge are two goals an experienced Maryland divorce lawyer can help you with immeasurably.

Recently, the Appellate Court weighed in regarding proper and improper contempt punishments and parties’ burdens of proof. The case involved child custody and child support, but the lessons from the court’s ruling apply to all kinds of divorce and family law cases.

In the summer of 2024, the wife brought the husband into court for a contempt hearing. The trial judge concluded that the husband had violated the couple’s child custody order and sentenced the husband to 30 days behind bars for “constructive civil contempt.”

A Celebrity Breakup and the Perils of Posting About Your Divorce on Social Media

March 18, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Today, Millenials, members of “Gen Z,” and many others live much of their lives online. For some influencers and celebrities, it seems that if it did not happen on Instagram (or another social media platform,) it did not happen at all. However, the ever-presence of social media can be a problem when you are going through a divorce. The potential pitfalls are numerous and varied, but by finding and retaining a skilled Maryland divorce lawyer, you can sidestep these possible hazards that otherwise could harm your divorce case.

A recent celebrity divorce case provides a practical example. Teyana Taylor is a singer-songwriter who married Iman Shumpert, a professional basketball player, in 2016. The couple divorced in 2024. After the divorce was finalized, though, the ex-husband allegedly posted a series of documents and reports to Instagram. The Instagram information appeared to show the ex-wife getting a substantial amount in the divorce, including four pieces of real estate worth more than $10 million, a seven-figure cash sum, a $300,000 Maybach vehicle, a $70,000 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and a tour bus.

The “leaked” documents created a stir on social media, with many users calling the ex-wife a “gold digger.” The ex-wife fought back this month, filing a request with the court to hold the ex-husband in contempt of court. According to Taylor, Shumpert’s social media disclosure included false reports and court documents that were sealed by the judge. The ex-wife’s legal team asked the judge to impose maximum fines and a 20-day jail stint as punishment for leaking the sealed information.

Dividing Credit Card Debts in a Maryland Divorce — Including Cards Titled in One Spouse’s Name Alone

February 28, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

One of the most important aspects of any divorce is the division of marital assets and debts. A crucial part of that process is separating marital from non-marital. Sometimes, it is as easy as looking at how an asset or debt account is titled, but in Maryland, that is far from the only relevant factor. Given the importance of fair distribution of debts and wealth, having a knowledgeable Maryland divorce lawyer on your side can be critical to success.

According to the Federal Reserve in New York City, Americans’ collective credit card debt has cleared the $1.2 trillion mark, shattering all previous records in that area. Credit card debt can be a substantial part of married couples’ lives, making it a significant piece of the divorce puzzle when those marriages end.

Such was the case for one Upper Marlboro couple who recently came before the Appellate Court of Maryland.

How a Wife’s Acceptance of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from a Trust Closed Off Her Ability to Challenge a Marital Property Agreement

February 7, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Any contractual agreement you sign with your sign that governs the distribution of assets — whether it is a prenuptial agreement, a postnuptial agreement, a marital property agreement, or a divorce settlement agreement — deserves your utmost attention. Because of the high stakes involved, it also calls for advice and counsel from an experienced Maryland marital agreement lawyer.

One of the essential aspects of any marital agreement is understanding your rights and obligations, including recognizing what actions may act as a waiver of legal rights you would otherwise have had.

A Montgomery County couple’s marital property agreement dispute clearly illustrates this concept.

Dealing With an Uncooperative Spouse When Litigating a Maryland Divorce

January 24, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Divorce is often an extremely painful time. Different individuals respond to the trauma of divorce in various ways — some more constructive than others. One way of responding to your spouse’s decision to end your marriage that is never helpful is to ignore it (or ignore aspects of the legal case that require you to respond.) Failing to participate in your divorce case can only serve to harm you, including in terms of substantial economic losses. Rather than hiding away from your divorce and your divorce case, seek out an experienced Maryland divorce lawyer instead.

A recent divorce case in Annapolis offers many pointers about what not to do when your spouse initiates divorce proceedings.

The divorce involved a young couple with one child. The husband was in the Navy, while the wife worked as a proposal analyst for a software company. During the litigation, the wife did not comply with multiple “reasonable discovery requests” the husband made. The wife “simply ignored them and/or didn’t respond, and/or didn’t update any discovery responses she did make,” according to the trial court.

Last-Minute Prenuptial Agreements and the Law of Coercion and Duress in Maryland

January 10, 2025 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Ideally, a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is something the spouses craft collaboratively, with both individuals having a clear understanding of the document’s terms, a meaningful opportunity to consult legal counsel, and plenty of time to make an informed decision about whether or not to sign. Sometimes, though, that does not happen. When it doesn’t, the result may be an invalid and unenforceable agreement. Whether you are considering creating (or signing) a prenuptial/postnuptial agreement or need to pursue invalidating one, having a knowledgeable Maryland family law attorney on your side can be vital to your success.

A celebrity divorce — and questions around the enforceability of the couple’s prenup — were in the news last year.

Early last year, Jeannie Mai, a TV host whose credits included the 2022 and 2023 Miss Universe pageants, sought to set aside the prenuptial agreement she and her husband, rap star Jeezy, had signed. Mai argued in court papers that the contract was invalid because “she signed the prenup paperwork only five days before [the] wedding and could not thoroughly examine” the document.

Ambiguities in Marital Settlement Agreements in Maryland

December 23, 2024 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

A collaborative divorce can provide many benefits to the spouses, including less expense and less animosity. To make this type of divorce process work its best, you must ensure you have an agreement clearly written and free from any ambiguities. An experienced Maryland divorce lawyer can be instrumental as you negotiate, draft, and execute your divorce agreement.

Ambiguity in an agreement can create substantial problems, such as creating disagreements that send the case back to court.

The divorce case of D.D. and J.D. from Baltimore is a strong example. In 2022, the spouses worked out an agreement dividing all their assets except their marital residence. The spouses placed their asset division terms in a Consent Agreement that stated the wife “shall be entitled to fifty percent (50%) of the marital share portion of Husband’s [Police] Pension, ‘if, as and when’ pension payments are distributed to him.”

Maryland’s Law of Contempt of Court… as Applied in a Contentious Caroline County Divorce

December 10, 2024 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Ideally, all divorces would proceed maturely, respectfully, and collaboratively for the benefit of both spouses (and their children, if any.) Reality tells us that divorces often fall short of this ideal. Divorces bring out strong emotions, and intense emotions sometimes lead spouses to engage in misconduct. When your spouse has done so, one option may be to pursue a finding of contempt of court. Because Maryland law recognizes many types of contempt, it is wise to consult an experienced Maryland divorce lawyer to advise you about pursuing a contempt case.

Earlier this month, the Appellate Court again waded into the contentious divorce of G.S. and T.S. from Caroline County, a dispute that raised many contempt-related issues.

In 2022, the couple worked out a divorce settlement agreement that they placed “on the record” in court during the second day of their divorce trial. The agreement covered terms related to child custody and parenting time and also directed the husband to pay the wife a monetary award of $100,000.

Prenuptial Agreement, Postnuptial Agreements, and the Divorce of a Maryland Native Turned Reality TV Star

November 29, 2024 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

One does not necessarily expect to unearth beneficial knowledge about the law from the latest celebrity gossip news regarding “reality” television stars. Perhaps there really is a time for everything, as the latest reports about the divorce involving one “Real Housewives” star show offer some valuable clues about what – and what not – to do as you navigate the process of prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, and divorce. One thing that is always a good idea is to contact a knowledgeable Maryland divorce lawyer whenever you have questions.

Ashley Darby, a native of Sandy Spring, Maryland, and one of the featured spouses on “Real Housewives of the Potomac,” filed for divorce from her husband, Michael Darby, earlier this month, according to TMZ. The couple separated in April 2022. The husband told TMZ that the spouses had worked out a mutually agreeable marital settlement agreement, guided in part by the couple’s prenuptial agreement.

According to other sources, including Yahoo! Entertainment News, the couple had multiple agreements.

The Deadlines You Face if You Want to Challenge Your Maryland Divorce Judgment

November 8, 2024 | by Anthony A. Fatemi, LLC

Quality legal representation can help your divorce in many ways. The right legal team can be instrumental in requesting and amassing the evidence you need and crafting that proof into a compelling case for the relief you seek. One additional big way a skilled attorney can help is by navigating the rules of procedure. These rules may seem obtuse, opaque, or beyond comprehension to a layperson, but their requirements nevertheless are mandatory and noncompliance can have catastrophic consequences for your case. A skilled Maryland divorce lawyer, however, will be steeped in these requirements and know how to carry your matter forward without being tripped up by the rules.

A divorce litigation matter from Baltimore County shows how badly your case can go wrong if you fail to do what the rules demand.

The wife, a Baltimore-area realtor and accountant, hired an attorney who filed a petition for divorce on her behalf. The husband wisely retained counsel, who filed an answer. Aided by their attorneys, the couple worked out a consent agreement. The agreement stated that the wife got 30% of the husband’s pension.