Maryland Divorce Lawyer

A Maryland divorce lawyer represents spouses ending their marriages. When you no longer wish to live with your spouse as a married couple, you need to ensure you protect yourself as you divide up your assets, make decisions on spousal support and alimony, and decide how you will raise children when you are living in separate households. Your family attorney can help you to argue for your interests so you can work to ensure a secure future once you are no longer wed.

How a Divorce Attorney Can Represent You

An experienced lawyer in Maryland can provide help from the first day you consider ending your marriage. Your legal representative can advise you on what state law says about property division, spousal support, and child custody. Once you know more about your rights as it relates to your marriage, you can decide how to move forward.

Couples who decide not to be married any longer can wind up the terms of their own married life by coming to an out-of-court agreement. This means negotiating on the issues relevant to the termination of your marriage, like sharing parenting time and deciding what happens to marital assets. Negotiation with the help of a trained mediator is almost always the best choice unless one of you is unwilling to compromise, or unless there is abuse, dishonesty, or hidden assets involved in your case.

When no agreement is reached among spouses, a local lawyer can provide representation. This means presenting evidence and arguments to a Circuit Court Judge about why you should get your preferred custody arrangement and why your proposals for the division of assets and spousal support should be adopted.

Maryland Laws on Divorce

The Maryland Family Law Code establishes the conditions under which a court may grant a limited divorce in Family Law Section 7-102. A limited divorce can be granted on the basis of cruelty to a spouse or child, desertion, vicious conduct to the filing spouse, or separation. A limited divorce may be valid for a set period of time, or for an indefinite time, and the decree of limited divorce can be revoked upon the petition of the spouses.

Maryland Family Law Section 7-103 addresses the conditions under which the court may grant an absolute divorce. These conditions include adultery, desertion, the conviction of certain felonies or misdemeanors, separation, insanity and cruelty, 12-month separation, and mutual consent.

If you have a prenuptial agreement or enter into a settlement agreement, the terms you agree to should be controlling. However, a prenuptial agreement does not address child custody or support, and parents cannot deviate from Maryland’s standard child support guidelines without valid reason.

If you have a Maryland prenuptial agreement or there are complicated issues in your divorce, like hidden assets necessitating a forensic accountant or business valuation, your lawyer can help with those issues as well.

Call a Maryland Divorce Attorney For Assistance

A Maryland divorce lawyer can be your advocate at every step, from deciding on a limited or absolute divorce to getting your marriage formally dissolved. Call today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you reach a favorable outcome.