Child support orders aren’t set in stone. Life circumstances change, and Maryland law recognizes that adjustments may be necessary to ensure that child support remains fair and appropriate for both parents and children. If you’re wondering how to…
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Guide to Child Custody in Maryland: What Parents Need to Know Understanding child custody in Maryland can be confusing and stressful, especially when emotions are involved. As a parent, your biggest concern is making sure your child is safe, happy, a…
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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 fu…
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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 f…
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Since writing my series on Maryland Third Party Custody, and in particular in Consent, De Facto Parents & Multi-Parent Families, a major development occurred in July 2021. The Court of Appeals, Maryland’s highest Court, issued EN v. TR, reviewi…
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(OR Questions (Mostly) Unanswered) Updated October 2021: This series discusses: What is Third Party Custody? What’s a De Facto Parent? Exceptional Circumstances Unfit Parents Participating as a Third Party in a Custody Case Step-Parents De Fact…
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“Parents and grandparents do not stand on the same legal footing with respect to visitation.” Brandenburg v. LaBarre, 193 Md.App. 178 (2010). Third party custody is one of the fastest developing areas of Maryland law, seeing many major changes si…
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Third party custody is one of the fastest developing areas of Maryland law, seeing many major changes since 2016. This series of articles explores these developments and raises questions about where this area of the law is heading. This series discus…
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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…
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UPDATE: During the 2021 Session, the Maryland General Assembly changed the effective date of this law change from October 1, 2021 (as originally passed in the 2020 Session) to July 1, 2022. 2022 will see 5 major changes to the child support guideline…
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Divorce litigation is rarely simple. The emotional stakes are high, the facts are often complicated, and the courtroom can be unpredictable. But having the best chance to achieve your goals at trial almost always comes down to the same thing: prepara… Read More
When an adult becomes unable to make decisions for themselves or a disabled child reaches the age of majority, families often face emotional and legal uncertainty. Whether because of illness, injury, or disability, it’s not unusual that the need fo… Read More
What Maryland Litigators Need to Know When a divorce involves significant wealth, everything becomes more complicated— especially property division in divorce. Maryland’s equitable distribution model gives the court discretion to divide marital a… Read More
In Maryland, remarriage directly affects alimony – but how it affects things depends on whether you receive or pay alimony. Maryland law has clear rules about when alimony stops after remarriage and other life changes. Careful consideration nee… Read More