Baltimore County Family Lawyer

A legal concern involving your family could impact various aspects of your life, including your happiness and stability. When your most important relationships and financial well-being are at stake, making sound decisions can be challenging.

When a legal matter arises in your family, consider seeking help from a trusted Baltimore County family lawyer. A seasoned Price Benowitz attorney could work to achieve your goals as effectively and efficiently as possible.

What Does a Family Lawyer Do?

Many often use the terms ‘family lawyer’ and ‘divorce lawyer’ interchangeably. However, divorce is only one aspect of family law. Family lawyers receive specific training in all kinds of domestic relations issues. A family law practice can focus on any legal problem that could impact a family relationship.

Although all legal professionals are trained to help their clients, family attorneys are particularly adept at handling emotionally challenging cases. They could zealously represent an individual in a contested divorce or provide sound, compassionate advice in a non-adversarial proceeding like adoption. A dedicated family lawyer could also act as a mediator when family disputes develop and represent litigants if their case goes to court.

Types of Cases a Baltimore County Family Lawyer Handles

Almost everyone will need the help of a family attorney at some point in their life. Some of the cases an experienced family lawyer could address include:

• Child Custody
• Child Support
• Divorce
• Property Division
• Spousal Support
• Paternity
• Adoption
• Pre Marital Agreements

Family attorneys could also manage guardianship and estate planning issues when a family’s legal problem involves an elderly or disabled family member. A person facing any of the issues listed above may benefit from consulting a Baltimore County family attorney.

Family Law Issues Between Divorcing Spouses

When it comes to divorce, no one is immune to its emotional effects. Even the most civil discussions between divorcing spouses may turn contentious when issues such as child custody or spousal support arise. There are several common sources of conflict between divorcing couples, including:

Parenting Time

Parenting time, also known as visitation, is the court-ordered time that each parent can spend with their children after a divorce. Any disagreement between spouses about their children can become heated quickly. Problems typically come up when discussions turn to sensitive topics like dividing time during special holidays or where the child will spend their birthday.

Child Support

Establishing child support can be challenging when one parent thinks the support amount is too low and the other believes they are being asked to pay more than their fair share. Although Maryland law mandates using the state’s Child Support Guidelines, family circumstances may dictate a different child support amount. Variations from the guidelines can lead to even more disputes between parents.

Property Division

When one party assumes they have the right to a particular asset, only to discover that the other spouse may have a financial interest in it. What started as a mutual understanding about property ownership during their marriage can easily become an area of contention during a divorce. Fortunately, a skilled family lawyer understands state asset division laws and how to apply them in a specific case.

Spousal Support

Very few topics can incite disagreements between spouses like spousal support. Also referred to as alimony, determining spousal maintenance can be difficult when one spouse feels they have already contributed more during the marriage and should not be required to support the spouse once the marriage is over.

On the other hand, the party seeking support may feel their non-economic contributions to the marriage, like caring for their children, should be given more weight when determining alimony. In either scenario, a capable family lawyer in Baltimore County could explain the significant factors judges consider when deciding alimony cases.

Consult a Confident Baltimore County Family Attorney for Guidance

Families may start out intending to resolve their family legal issues amicably, but negotiations in these stressful situations can break down fast. If a legal issue impacts your family, consider speaking with a caring Baltimore County family lawyer.

A compassionate attorney from our team understands the difficult nature of these cases and could help you negotiate a fair resolution while maintaining your familial relationships. Call today to learn more about how a knowledgeable family attorney on our team could help your situation.