Category: Firm News

A Jurisdictional Difference That Surprises Parents Families who split time between DC and Maryland sometimes assume child support rules work exactly the same way across the border. They do not. DC’s child support system shares the same general structure as Maryland’s but differs in ways that meaningfully affect how long support actually lasts. The Income […]

Not a Guess, a Formula Parents facing a child support calculation for the first time often expect a subjective judgment call. Maryland actually uses a structured formula built into state law, and understanding how it works helps set realistic expectations before a case even reaches court. The Income Shares Model Maryland calculates child support using […]

A Process Built for Urgency Maryland’s protective order system was designed with speed in mind, recognizing that someone facing domestic abuse often cannot wait weeks for court intervention to begin. Understanding the three stages of this process helps set realistic expectations for anyone considering a petition in Frederick County. Stage One: The Interim Protective Order […]

A Quiet but Significant Change Maryland’s divorce law looks considerably different than it did just a few years ago. A 2023 overhaul eliminated fault based grounds entirely, and understanding the current system helps couples in Bethesda set realistic expectations before filing for divorce. What Divorce Grounds Used to Require Before the change, Maryland recognized both […]

Dividing a business in a divorce is rarely straightforward. Unlike a bank account with a clear balance or a home with a market value, a privately held business requires a formal valuation process that involves financial expertise, professional judgment, and often significant disagreement between the parties. The number that comes out of that process directly […]

When parents in a divorce can’t agree on custody and the conflict is significant, Maryland courts sometimes need more information than either side’s attorney can provide. That’s where custody evaluations come in. A mental health professional with specialized training conducts an independent investigation of both parents, the children, and the family dynamic, then submits a […]

When someone is trying to get a protective order in Maryland, one of the first questions that comes up is what kind of evidence actually matters. Text messages come up constantly. They’re often the most direct record of what happened between two people, and courts take them seriously. The short answer is yes. Text messages […]

When parents separate or divorce, custody becomes one of the first and most pressing issues to work through. But many people use the word “custody” without realizing it actually refers to two separate legal concepts. Physical custody and legal custody are not the same thing, and a parent can have one without the other. Understanding […]

When a marriage ends, financial support between spouses becomes one of the most contested issues in family court. In Washington D.C., alimony is not a one-size-fits-all arrangement. Two of the most commonly misunderstood terms are pendente lite alimony and permanent alimony. They serve different purposes, apply at different stages of a divorce, and are evaluated […]

Not all assets are treated equally in a divorce. Washington DC recognizes a distinction between marital property and separate property, and that line matters a great deal when dividing what you own. Separate property generally includes assets you brought into the marriage, inherited, or received as a gift. Marital property is what you and your […]