When you and your spouse are ready to get a divorce in Maryland, you may have to wait. With certain exceptions, state law requires spouses to be voluntarily separated for at least 12 months or involuntarily for 24 months. For many unhappily married people, this...
Avoiding mistakes on your post-divorce tax returns
Thoughts of spring are beginning to push their way into people’s minds, much like early blooming flowers pushing their way through melting snow. The annual rites of spring include more than chirping birds and blossoming buds, however: as every Bethesda resident knows,...
The pandemic complicates everything, including divorce
For those who might be keeping score, you can add divorce to the long list of things altered by the pandemic. As Covid-19 has battered the nation, concerns about health and economic security have added to tension in many marriages. The pandemic has affected divorce,...
Pandemic sent divorce and marriage rates plummeting last year
The Covid-19 pandemic upended much of American life over the past year. A new study suggests that in 2019, many people put off getting a divorce and many put off tying the knot, too. Both the divorce rate and marriage rate plummeted last year, according to a study by...
Should I worry about parental alienation?
As we discussed in a previous blog post, Maryland law now requires divorcing parents to establish a parenting plan. Taking this step encourages parents to put their child’s best interests first as well as define specific rules and guidelines they should follow as they...
FAQ: How long will my divorce take?
When spouses decide to end their marriage, it is an emotional and often painful choice and process that individuals do not want to draw out. This is understandable. Both spouses want to move on and put the pain behind them as soon as possible. That is why one of the...
Divorce for those over 50 is increasing – but why?
Just at the beginning of November, the Census Bureau reported that the rate of divorce in the United States recently reached a 50-year low. While the rate of divorce overall may have decreased, the rate of divorce for couples over 50 spiked significantly since the...
Will adultery change the outcome of your divorce in Maryland?
Adultery affects many marriages, yet each couple who endures it responds in a different manner. You may have friends or relatives who forgave their spouses after they had an affair, and who managed to make their marriages stronger in its aftermath. Yet, if you...
Can I change the child support order?
Depending on the arrangement parents have, it is common for the parent with less parenting time to pay child support. After all, it is a parent’s responsibility to provide their child with financial support, and it is normal to have such an order in place when...
Do I have to attend a parent education seminar?
Parents never take the decision to divorce lightly. They worry about how it will impact their family, their life and most of all, their children. Helping children to understand this decision on top of determining a child custody arrangement can be challenging for any...
