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Whether to stay in an unhappy, unhealthy relationship or breakup and move on is a tough decision. Change is hard and I’m a believer that people aren’t ready until they are ready. Even so, instead of decision through indecision, be intentional. When asking yourself...
If you’re wondering why there’s no discussion of COVID on my site, that’s because what I’ve written on this topic appears on my firm’s – Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s - website. Well, look no further… Here’s a quick index so you can easily get to and read about...
When it comes to where a child of separated parents lives, the child’s schedule for spending time with each parent, and decision-making about a child, the guiding principle is the child’s best interests. In settlement, this means the parents put the child’s interests...
Effective October 1, 2019, Maryland's law on "extraordinary medical expenses" changed. The law (and these updates) is found in Maryland Annotated Code, Family Law Article §§12-201 and 12-204. "Extraordinary medical expenses" are part of Maryland's child support law....
2018 has been the Session of "Mutual Consent", with four (4) bills proposing to change the Mutual Consent ground for divorce. SB120 proposes to eliminate the exclusion of no minor children in common, so making the Mutual Consent ground for divorce available to all...
On February 1, 2018, the Court of Special Appeals issued its opinion in Rose v. Rose, a case involving: Alimony termination due to the ex-spouse's alleged cohabitation in a marriage like relationship pursuant to Gordon v. Gordon; I discuss this in Rose v. Rose -...
On February 1, 2018, the Court of Special Appeals issued its opinion in Rose v. Rose, a case involving: Alimony termination due to the ex-spouse's alleged cohabitation in a marriage like relationship pursuant to Gordon v. Gordon; Reimbursement of children's expenses;...
In 2015, the Maryland General Assembly added "Mutual Consent" as a ground for absolute divorce. Mutual Consent requires that: (i) the parties do not have any minor children in common; (ii) the parties execute and submit to the...
On January 10, the Maryland General Assembly begins its 2018 legislative session. The Maryland State Bar Association's (MSBA) Family and Juvenile Law Section Council's (FJLSC) Legislative Committee actively monitors family law and related legislation, testifies in...
Transitioning from an intact to a separated family poses many challenges. For the parents. And for their children. Holidays are a special challenge all their own. Time and again, I hear from Judges and Magistrates that litigating parents don't tell the...
This Washington Post Perspective piece discusses issues I've written about before (A Parents Perspective On Nesting & Practical Considerations) but also questions the emotional aspects of nesting - for children and their parents. "[N]esting could be an excuse by...
"When it comes to marriage, or long-term monogamy, we have to take the good with the bad, the weak with the strong. But what I’m not hearing here is a clear sense that your boyfriend is troubled by the inequalities in the relationship, that he’s working on his...