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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...
How are parents' constitutionally protected beliefs and behaviors weighed against children's best interests in child custody decisions? The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States' Constitution protects against the state's taking a person's life, liberty, or...
(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...
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...
Divorce invites isolation. This happens with the separation. From one home into two. From an intact marriage into two estranged spouses. From an intact family into splitting time with the children. Suddenly. This happens with extended family...
Legal Background: Currently, Maryland Family Law Article §2-301 allows minors to marry under the following circumstances: A 16 or 17 year old, either: With the parents’ or guardians’ consent and swearing that the person is aged 16 or older; or, Without consent, but...
Resilience is not something we have or don't. Resilience is something we can build - at any age. This New York Times article focuses on practical tips for building resilience in middle age. "Scientists who study stress and resilience say it’s important to think of...
"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...
A recent Pew Research study shows that support of same sex marriage is at an all time high. So, why is there still doubt in Maryland about whether a divorce can be granted based upon same sex adultery? Because that's what we Maryland lawyers were taught. But, the law...
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...
The 2017 legislative session saw the introduction of relatively few family law bills, but with a surprising number passing (especially as compared with 2016). Subject to veto by the Governor until May 30 (which is not anticipated), the following bills were passed into...
Divorce often feels like an unraveling. Of a relationship. Of the family. Of the home. And, more challengingly, of yourself. The one relationship becomes two people with separate, yet often still intertwined, lives. Especially with children. What was one family...