As lives and family relationships evolve, it’s important for the people involved to understand their rights and responsibilities. Sometimes those rights and obligations are determined by a court, but much more often, they are established through an agreement between the parties themselves. Agreements may be beneficial in a variety of family legal situations:

  • Marital separation agreements or marital property agreements for divorcing spouses regarding their property and finances
  • Parenting agreements for separated parents about parenting responsibilities and financial support for their children
  • Prenuptial or premarital agreements for future spouses for asset and financial protection
  • Postnuptial and reconciliation agreements for married spouses, to protect assets and finances after marriage or when choosing to remain together after marital difficulties
  • Cohabitation agreements for unmarried persons who live together, to establish their financial and property responsibilities

As a life changes attorney, I know that having a clear and shared understanding of expectations makes relationship transitions much easier. An agreement gives you and your partner, ex-partner, or co-parent a voice in and control over the terms of your relationship. Those terms can be personalized to your unique circumstances and goals, addressing current concerns and clarifying expectations about the future.

Reaching Agreement in a Family Law Case

Having an agreement about the terms of your relationship going forward is good, but getting there can be challenging. In an ideal world, you and the other party would be able to sit across from each other at the kitchen table and work things out—and some people do.

Other people need a little support—or a lot—and that’s perfectly fine. You can also reach an agreement through other means, such as attorney-supported negotiation, collaborative settlement, or mediation with a neutral third party facilitating discussion. The important thing is that you get an agreement you can understand and live with.

My agreement-related services involve:

  • Advising you about the advantages and disadvantages of an agreement and specific terms
  • Negotiating agreements on your behalf that are in your best interests
  • Mediating agreement terms on behalf of mediation clients
  • Drafting and customizing an agreement to your unique circumstances
  • Reviewing and revising mediator- or opposing counsel-drafted settlement agreements for your benefit
  • Helping parents reach agreements through dispute resolution, such as Parent Coordination
  • Enforcing agreements to obtain compliance
  • Modifying agreements when material changes in circumstances arise involving children, child support, or alimony and other modifiable terms
  • Pursuing clarification over disputes about an agreement’s meaning

Work with a Family Attorney for All Life Changes

I am a life changes attorney, and have been helping my clients reach agreements in important life transitions like marriage, divorce, and guardianship for over 20 years. I will work together with you to ensure you have an agreement that is thorough, understandable, and designed to make your life easier.

To learn more about marital settlement agreements, premarital agreements, and other family agreements in Maryland, check out my blog or contact me to schedule a consultation.