In a court-ordered custody mediation, a Maryland judge's initial order can require as few as two sessions totaling four hours. Most people arrive with a rough sense of what they want and discover partway through the first hour that the window is smaller than they pictured, and that it does not
How Stock Options and Deferred Compensation Are Divided in a High Asset Divorce
For most executives, the paycheck is the smaller number. Stock options, restricted stock units, and deferred compensation carry more household wealth than salary does in a lot of households, and they are also the assets most likely to be undervalued when a marriage ends. Unvested awards, staggered
What Happens to a Family Business When Divorce Lawyers Get Involved
Nobody builds a family business on a schedule that leaves room for a divorce. The evenings, the personally guaranteed line of credit, the years of taking a smaller draw than the job was worth is all inside one asset, and when the marriage ends the owner's first question is whether they are about to
What to Look for When Choosing a Family Law Attorney for a Contentious Case
There's a kind of family law case that separates lawyers from each other, and it is often seen in some unfortunate patterns. The other side stops producing financial records. Discovery deadlines slide. The children start getting used as a pressure point. Plenty of capable attorneys do excellent work
How Divorce Lawyers in Maryland Approach Cases Involving Infidelity
Infidelity changes how a divorce plays out, even though Maryland no longer treats it as a legal reason to file. For decades, adultery was one of several fault grounds a spouse could use to end a marriage faster or strengthen a claim for support. As of October 1, 2023, Maryland law removed
What Courts Decide Is Separate vs Marital Property in Maryland Divorces
Few questions create more anxiety during a divorce than what happens to the property each spouse holds. Maryland law draws a clear line between marital and non-marital property, but applying that line to real-life assets is rarely simple. An inheritance can lose its protection if it gets mixed into
What To Do When Your Spouse Files for Divorce First in Maryland
In This Article: We walk through the response deadlines you need to know, the rights you retain as a respondent, the immediate actions to take, and the mistakes that can quietly damage your position before you ever set foot in a courtroom. Being served divorce papers is one of the more
Trusts & Estate Plans in High-Asset Maryland Divorces
This article covers revocable and irrevocable trusts in high-asset divorce proceedings, commingling, beneficiary designations, and why working with a high-asset divorce attorney is so consequential when this much is at stake. All divorces are difficult in their own way. When a substantial
