Many parents contemplating divorce worry that a change in their marital circumstances will hurt the relationship with their children. Especially for parents who have not been primary caregivers thus far, the idea of impending divorce may cause concern about the...
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Think twice before moving out of family home during divorce
Divorce can be a taxing experience, and continuing to live under the same roof with the spouse you have fallen out with may seem unbearable. During these times of tumult, it is not unusual for one party to opt out of the family home either voluntarily or under duress....
Birdnesting: A way for parents to ease their kids’ divorce distress
Baltimore Orioles are brilliant orange and black songbirds that typically build their nests high in oak and maple trees near the ends of slender branches. The locations of the hanging pouch nests serve as a defense against predators in search of the Maryland state...
How do Maryland courts determine child support?
The state of Maryland’s Human Services department is clear about child support in a divorce. “Every child has a right to receive support from both parents even if the parents are separated, divorced, or never married.” Of course divorcing parents want to have...
Part 2: Understanding the language of law in child custody matters
Regular readers of our Bethesda Family Law Blog will undoubtedly recall a recent post that shared the Maryland Judiciary’s explanation of legal terms frequently used in child custody proceedings. You’ll recall that in cases of joint legal custody, the court will...
Understanding the language of law in child custody matters
Divorce is rarely easy, whether you’ve been married a few years or a few decades. Rarer still is an easy divorce involving children. Deciding how to divide both responsibility and time spent with the children often escalates tension in an already stressful situation....
Dating during divorce is a good idea . . . right?
Marriages often end with a lengthy period in which communication is difficult or strained or even nonexistent. Intimacy is gone and those pure feelings of joy and excitement that were so alive in courtship are so distant and faint that they feel like memories from a...
Telling your child that divorce is coming
Just a few miles south of Bethesda sits the nation’s capital and the highly regarded newspaper that has covered it for more than 140 years. While the Washington Post is known for its political coverage, it also features advice columnist Carolyn Hax. The headline above...
Maryland law now requires parenting plans
A parenting plan is different from a child custody agreement between unmarried or divorcing parents. It is not merely an agreement, but also a guide. It allows parents who share custody to establish rules and strategies for how they will work together to raise their...
How to work through child custody conflicts
If you and your spouse are parents, creating a custody agreement could be the most challenging part of your divorce. You two likely have differing ideas about what is best for your children. And neither of you will want to back down from your beliefs. Emotions can run...