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 -...
Marital Agreements (Prenuptial, Postnuptial, Reconciliation)
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...
Na v. Gillespie – Confidentiality & Mediation
On December 1, 2017, Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued its opinion in Na v. Gillespie, a case involving a dispute about whether the parties had reached an agreement in mediation and whether mediation communications and documents were admissible evidence to...
Family Law Development – McGeehan v. McGeehan
On August 10, the Court of Appeals issued a new family law opinion, McGeehan v. McGeehan. The headnote for which is: "Under Section 8-201(e)(3)(iii) of the Family Law Article of the Maryland Code, which permits a valid agreement to exclude property acquired during the...
Unenforceable Agreements to Agree & Family Law
In Maryland, "agreements to agree" are generally unenforceable. For a contact to exist, the terms must be "sufficiently definite". If the parties' terms are too undefined, a court cannot make a contract for the parties. Rather, the court may find that there is no...
Relationship Contracts – A Paradigm Shift
A recent article in the New York Times, To Stay In Love, Sign on the Dotted Line, describes a more deliberate process - a written relationship contract - for what many (if not most) couples do instinctively. At its simplest, a relationship is a contract - an...
Hiring an Attorney – What to Consider?
Hiring an attorney means putting your trust in someone to advocate for you, your family, and your future on the unfamiliar path of divorce and custody. It is a stressful journey, arising from a difficult and challenging family situation. When you may feel like your...
Capital Loss Carry Forwards in Maryland Divorce
When property is sold for less than the purchase price, this may result in a capital loss that can be used to offset certain types of income on future income tax returns. If not used all in one tax year, the capital loss may carry forward to be used in future tax...
Why Expansion of Maryland’s Mutual Consent Ground Has Stalled in the General Assembly
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 to eliminate the...
A May 2017 Tax Court’s Cautionary Lessons about Alimony and Tax Preparation Software Pitfalls
A May 2017 Tax Court Opinion reminds us that to qualify as deductible alimony (among other requirements), payment must be required by a "divorce or separation instrument". This is defined as: - A decree of divorce or separate maintenance or a written instrument...