Most dog owners consider their dogs family members, not mere property like appliances, furniture, or cars. However, in Maryland, that is how the courts will address pets in a divorce case. To get an outcome that will enhance your pet’s best interests, you must understand how Maryland law sees pets…
As a spouse going through a divorce in Maryland, you may face many challenges, including concerning alimony and a monetary award. This challenge can become particularly complicated if your spouse is the owner of a small business, especially one that pays for a substantial chunk of his/her personal expenses. Whatever…
Prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements can be traps for the unwary. Signing an agreement with unfavorable terms can — absent a court judgment invalidating the contract — cost you greatly. (In one recent Maryland case, it cost the husband $7 million.) Before you sign, make sure you understand exactly what…
As a spouse going through a divorce, you’ll face many choices. You may elect to resolve all your issues via a negotiated settlement, all via a trial, or some in each of those two settings. As is true in any negotiation setting, it is exceptionally important to understand when you…
The Maryland legal community was shocked to the core by the horrific death of Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who was murdered in his driveway by a man who was litigating his divorce case before the judge. While the killer in this case potentially had mental health issues, divorce litigation can impose…
While divorce trials are matters where the focus falls heavily on the facts in evidence, Maryland still has numerous procedural rules that govern. A spouse’s failure to comply with them can have a very harmful impact on that spouse’s ability to litigate her case before the court. Procedural issues are…
Back in February, this blog discussed a bill in the General Assembly that would create “no-fault” divorce in this state. That bill passed and, as WUSA reminded its audience today, Maryland’s new no-fault divorce law takes effect tomorrow, October 1. The new law represents an important shift in divorce law…
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 30% of all Montgomery County residents were born somewhere outside the United States. That means thousands of people living in Maryland may have married somewhere other than the U.S. and may have even divorced outside this country. If you’re living in this…
Americans’ attitudes toward pets have changed over the last several decades. Today, many pet owners call themselves “pet parents” and their pets “fur babies.” While these relationships have evolved, animal law has been slow to follow suit. This can present some unique challenges when a married couple who shares a…
In elementary school math class, students begin learning about the “order of operations.” This concept governs the sequence in which to complete various mathematical operations in pursuit of the correct solution. In divorce law, we have something similar. Maryland divorce law lays out a specific sequence of mathematical steps to…