Family Law

The Appellate Court of Maryland recently made a significant ruling regarding de facto parenting and exceptional circumstances in custody cases. The court clarified that an individual involved in a child’s upbringing cannot be considered a de facto parent unless both legal parents consented to and fostered the parent-like relationship. However, custody can still be transferred…

When couples are in the process of divorce, one of the first issues that arises is dividing assets. Most couples tend to concentrate solely on the big things in their lives, such as their finances, properties, businesses, and more. However, there are many other valuable items that accumulate during a marriage that many people do…

When we think of marriage, we are likely to think of love first. Then perhaps we think of friendship, attraction, stability, and so on. Romance. These factors all come into play when we are considering marrying someone. While these are important, marriage is not just a romantic celebration, but often a legally binding contract as…

The ongoing legal battle between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard attracted a lot of attention, particularly as the case played out on live television and across the internet. However, months after the jury handed down their verdict in the defamation trial, evidence was unsealed that had never been presented to the jury. After reviewing…

When the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) undid 50 years of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade, advocates scrambled to find ways to protect reproductive rights. Admittedly – and rightfully – most of the conversation focused on abortion. After all, the opinion by Justice Alito said the ruling only applied to abortion. But…

As Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s divorce continues to play out in the public eye, West recently posted (and deleted) on his Instagram, expressing displeasure that Kardashian allows their daughter, North, on social media, TikTok in particular. West both accused Kardashian of creating the joint TikTok account to antagonize him and that North was being…

A divorce is an emotional and stressful process, to say the least. It is not just the two marriage partners who are impacted by a divorce. Children, extended family members, and friends of the spouses may have to come to terms with the dissolution of the marriage. Changes in households and financial responsibilities will have…

A recent article in the New York Times highlighted a new trend in the area of love and marriage – domestic partnerships. Although the idea of domestic partnerships is nothing new, especially in the LGBTQ community pre-marriage equality, a movement toward platonic marriage is yet another way we can look at how we define “family.”…

Family comes in many forms. Increasingly, parenting duties are being shouldered by grandparents – sometimes alone, and sometimes in tandem with birth parents, aunts and uncles, and other family members. All children need love and support, and grandparents have a wealth of that love and support to give. That is why it is important to…

Being a parent is a rough but rewarding path many people choose to take. Even the best of parents may not always see eye to eye with their child’s other parent, or even their child but they have the constitutional right to make decisions they believe are best for their son or daughter at any…

Relationships are complicated, but even more complicated can be making a relationship official by law. We don’t mean that the actual ceremony can be tough to maneuver; we mean that all of “fun” administrative issues that come along with life can become more complicated by legally merging your lives. Part of that complication comes in…

In December, legislators agreed to a second coronavirus relief package, with direct payments of $600 to eligible adults, plus $600 per child dependent. Many individuals and families have already received their stimulus payments, and other payments are on their way. However, for couples in the process of divorce or child support disputes, this stimulus check…

Despite the courts having been closed for nearly two months, state laws are still being reviewed, revised, and passed in order to continue bettering the legal system. To its credit, the Maryland legislature has been quite busy of late, to include the passing of new laws related to family court issues aimed at providing parties…

If you have a special needs child then you are abundantly aware of the unique challenges you face with day to day parenting, and planning for your child’s future. You worry now, and stress over how he or she will manage one day when you’re gone. You want to give your special needs child the…

Congratulations! You’re getting married! This is a time for celebrating and beginning to plan for your big day. While you’re choosing a color scheme, trying on gowns and tuxedos, and taste testing cake samples, you might begin thinking about whether you need to protect yourself in case the future pans out differently than you planned.…

Some subjects in life are more difficult to wrap your mind around than others, especially when you are a parent considering how to protect your child. After all, that’s your primary job aside from loving, feeding and clothing him or her. Protecting your child from strangers gets more difficult every day with the progression of…

Even the most amicable divorce can be stressful and overwhelming. Many people wonder if they can bring a close friend or relative to their attorney meeting (or meetings). This can help your comfort level as well as having an extra set of ears to process and take down information. However, is this really a good…

The Maryland nonprofit group Court Watch Montgomery works to ensure victims of domestic violence are provided with proper access to justice, programs, and resources. Volunteers from the organization gather data from thousands of protective order hearings each year, and release a report with their findings. Court Watch’s latest report found that District Court judges in…

Family law issues, especially divorce, can be emotionally and psychologically difficult, especially with children involved. When spouses are going through a split that may be particularly contentious and can’t come to agreement over decisions regarding their child, sometimes a best interest attorney is a fair alternative. If, during a divorce, there are issues around child…

Second parent adoption is when one partner legally adopts the other partner’s child, giving them both equal and legal parental rights. People typically choose second parent adoption when they are unmarried or if they’re a same-sex couple who wants to ensure their parental rights stay protected. Families may benefit from having an attorney complete a…