What is AA v. Ab D? AA v. Ab D is a 2020 Court of Special Appeals opinion involving these important concepts in child custody cases: The court’s obligation to children when deciding child custody. Children’s rights to have their best interests fully considered at...
Litigation
Demise of Contempt for Child Custody Orders?
November 17, 2021, and its Breona C. v. Rodney D. decision from the Court of Special Appeals, may mark the end of contempt as a meaningful tool for seeking compliance with child custody orders. The case involved a constructive civil contempt action for failure to...
COVID’s Impact on Families
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...
“Marriage Story” – Fact or Fiction?
(Or, finding the better path - a divorce lawyer's perspective.) "Marriage Story" might more accurately (though less invitingly) be titled "Divorce Story". It's a tale about the divorce experience. While that experience is unique for each couple, the film touches on...
“When can I start dating?” – A simple question, without a simple answer
In almost every divorce case, I’m asked, “When can I start dating?”
2018 Maryland General Assembly – The Session of Mutual Consent
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...
Rose v. Rose – Child Support, Overnights & Retroactive Modification
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 -...
Rose v. Rose – Alimony Termination & Cohabitation
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;...
Maryland Child Custody – What ARE the Best Interests of the Child?
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...
Joint Custody Presumption v. Shared Parenting Advocacy
A December 11, 2017 Washington Post article, "More than 20 states in 2017 considered laws to promote shared custody of children after divorce", states: "Now lawmakers are accelerating this trend toward co-parenting, with legislatures in more than 20 states this...
Limited Scope Representation – How to Define the Scope of Services?
Limited Scope Representation allows a client to hire an attorney to do some, but not all work, in the case. Limited Scope Representation is a combination of attorney representation and the client's self-representation. It is an opportunity to contain costs...
Limited Scope Representation – Is this the Right Choice for You?
Limited Scope Representation allows a client to hire an attorney to do some, but not all work, in the case. This is a combination of attorney representation and self-representation. This post focuses on litigated court cases. Before deciding if Limited Scope...