The 2017 Maryland General Assembly Session saw, for the first time, a bill that would have made a continuance/postponement of a civil case mandatory if all parties agreed to the continuance. This would have applied to civil cases only, both at the tr…
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The 2017 Maryland legislative session saw an attempt to add Best Interest (“BIA”) and Child Advocate Attorneys (“CAA”) to the categories of domestic violence petitioners. Specifically, the proposed bill would have allowed BIAs…
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Effective October 1, 2017, a new law will go into effect, expanding the definition of “health insurance” for child support purposes. HB926 (http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2017RS/bills/hb/hb0926T.pdf) passed the Senate unanimously and almost so in the…
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Many couples choose mediation to resolve their family matters. Mediation gives you control over who facilitates the settlement discussion, over how to structure and pace the process, and – most importantly – over the outcome. Mediation can be eff…
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In the 2017 legislative session, the Maryland Generally Assembly passed into law an update to existing law on restoration to a former name in a divorce. HB793: Family Law – Divorce – Restoration of Former Name (to view the bill: http://mgaleg.mar…
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Every client wants to know what their case will cost, whether an amicable settlement or highly contested litigation. You only control your side of things – choices you and your attorney make and how you and your attorney react to choices of the…
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While not overtly a domestic violence bill, HB294 revises Public Safety Article §5-101(b-1)(2)(i) so a person, who receives a probation before judgment for second degree assault that is a “domestically related crime” (as defined in Criminal Proc…
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When the going gets tough for couples, there are many counseling options to explore before choosing to divorce. I discuss individual counseling in a previous post. Individual counseling often compliments couples-based counseling. Discernment counseli…
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The 2017 legislative session saw only one bill concerning the Mutual Consent ground for divorce. To eliminate the requirement that both parties attend the uncontested divorce hearing. The bill failed. In the 2016 session, there was a failed attempt t…
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A recent Washington Post piece sheds light on an overshadowed aspect of divorce – the passing of a spouse during divorce. Divorce is difficult enough; a spouse’s passing during divorce exponentially more so. Because… the surviving s…
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