Marital Property Marital property is all property that has been acquired during the marriage, including (but not limited to): Real estate property (such as a house, condominium, or land) Bank accounts Retirement and pension assets Stock Furniture Cars Boats And other personal property Nonmarital Property Non-marital property falls into one of the following categories: (1) the […]

The Split Family’s Guide to Celebrating the Holidays It is that time of year when things can become tense as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year plans for separated families are negotiated and implemented. For most of us Christmas is a happy time, a time when families get together to swap presents and stories, share meals […]

What are the tax consequences of paying or receiving alimony? If you are paying alimony, then those payments can be tax deductible, so long as certain conditions are met in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. If you are receiving alimony, then you must report the full amount of alimony as income on your tax […]

Divorce by Mutual Consent Maryland has added a new ground for divorce which changes the wait time to get a divorce. This law went into effect on October 1, 2015. The divorce ground is called “Mutual Consent.” Prior to this law, every married person had to wait a year to get divorced, and there […]

Voluntary Impoverishment If child support is an issue in your Maryland case and your child’s other parent is not working, or is not working enough, then you may be able to ask the Court to treat that parent as if they were working full time. A parent who is underemployed or unemployed is referred to as “voluntarily […]

When you are going through a domestic dispute, the intimate details of your private life can and will be exposed. Nothing is private, especially with the use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, text messaging, and email. Do not say or post anything that you do not want the judge or your opposing party to see.

Claiming a child as a dependent on your tax returns can sometimes make a significant difference in the amount of the tax refund that you receive from the IRS or the state of Maryland. If there is no agreement or custody order in place indicating which parent may claim a child as a dependent, then only the “custodial parent” is entitled to the dependency exemption, but the child must be considered a “qualifying child.”

A premarital contract (often referred to as a “prenup” or “prenuptial agreement”) between prospective spouses typically provides for the way in which property is to be divided in the event of divorce. The validity of these agreements is determined by basic contract principles.

Your significant other’s behavior can sometimes impact the outcome of your divorce case, depending on the circumstances, but it is illegal for you to record any communications without their knowledge and consent.