As lively as the 2022 Maryland General Assembly was with so many bills, few family law bills passed. Below is an update about those bills which may be relevant to your practice or impact your family. Bills in italics passed. The rest did not. May 31,…
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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. Wh…
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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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(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…
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Divorce is a globally traumatic experience. For spouses over the death of their relationship. For parents and children over the unraveling of their family, structure, responsibilities, and routines. For their extended families, friends, and community…
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Part 3 This blog, the third and last in a multi-part series, considering Maryland’s trends and other states’ grounds from Part 1 and Part 2, discusses whether it is time for Maryland to overhaul its grounds for divorce. I welcome hearing from rea…
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Part 1 This blog, the first in a multi-part series, poses the question of whether it’s time to update Maryland’s grounds for divorce and starts to answer that question by looking at developments in Maryland over the last several years. We’ll th…
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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 and frie…
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In Maryland, child custody has two main parts: physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody involves where a child lives, when a child spends time with each parent, and any conditions. Physical custody is also called residential custody or pa…
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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