Posted on November 30, 2025 in Divorce

So you and your spouse agree the marriage is over, and you both want to move forward with your lives. But the idea of fighting in court and spending months or years in litigation sounds exhausting and expensive. The good news is that for most divorces, fighting things out in court is not necessary. Alternative dispute resolution methods allow couples to end their marriages more peacefully and efficiently in 2025 and 2026. 

Maryland law provides several options for resolving divorce outside the courtroom. Our Dorchester County, MD divorce attorneys will help you choose the approach that fits your situation and goals.

What Is Divorce Mediation?

Mediation is the most common alternative to court for divorce. A neutral mediator helps you and your spouse have discussions to try to reach a divorce settlement. For most couples, this means handling issues like property division, alimony, child custody, and child support. The mediator does not make decisions or represent either party. Their job is to help spouses find common ground by guiding them to engage in productive conversations.

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 Posted on October 31, 2025 in Family Law

Maryland recently passed House Bill 275 (HB275). This law makes important changes to how child support is calculated when a parent (the "payor parent") has more than one family. These updates, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, are designed to make child support calculations fairer in cases where a parent supports children from different households.

If you live in Maryland and you pay or receive child support, talk to our Severna Park child support attorneys. We can help you understand whether your payments are fair and whether you should ask for a modification. 

What Does HB275 Change About Maryland Child Support? 

Before HB275, Maryland’s child support guidelines did not clearly account for situations where a parent had to pay child support and was also supporting other children in their home. This created an imbalance for parents supporting multiple children in different households.

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 Posted on September 30, 2025 in Family Law

Until the beginning of next month, judges in Maryland have based decisions about child custody on the "best interest of the child" standard. While this is a strong and well-established idea, it is somewhat ambiguous. Maryland House Bill 1191 comes into effect on October 1, 2025, and gives a clear list of exactly which factors judges should use when making a parenting plan for a child. 

In addition, House Bill 1191 also codifies the standard that judges should use when deciding whether an existing child custody order should be changed. To learn more about these laws, read this blog and then get in touch with one of our Arnold, MD child custody attorneys for help with your case. 

What Factors Will Maryland Judges Use When Making Child Custody Decisions? 

Parents in Maryland are encouraged to create their own parenting plan that settles physical and legal custody issues outside of court. When this is not possible, judges will make the decision for them based on a series of factors now codified in law. 

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 Posted on August 18, 2025 in Divorce

Child custody is often the most difficult issue in a divorce. Parents want to remain in their children’s lives, but they may have different ideas about what is best. Maryland law provides several options for custody arrangements, both for decision-making authority (legal custody) and parenting time (visitation). Although parents are highly encouraged to create a parenting plan on their own, when this is not possible, courts make custody decisions based on what will best serve the child’s welfare.

As of August 2025, Maryland family law continues to follow Md. Code, Family Law § 5-203, which states the rebuttable presumption that both parents are the "joint natural guardians" of their child. This law also gives the court authority to make custody determinations in the best interests of the child, considering factors such as parental fitness, stability of each home, and the child’s adjustment to school and community.

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 Posted on July 21, 2025 in Divorce

For many couples in Maryland, the family home is their most valuable asset and there are many years, if not decades, of memories with family and friends attached to it. But homes are expensive and seem to get more expensive every year. Figuring out what to do with the mortgage in a divorce can be just as important as deciding who will keep the house, especially if either party is not sure they can afford the mortgage on their own.

Maryland law requires courts to divide marital property equitably, which does not always mean splitting everything in half. If you do decide to take over your house’s mortgage entirely after your divorce, you need to protect your financial stability and credit. With the help of our Anne Arundel County, MD divorce attorneys and our experience in asset division, you can make informed decisions about what to do with your mortgage as part of your divorce settlement.

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 Posted on June 18, 2025 in Divorce

Few things are more frustrating than standing in a courtroom and listening to your spouse lie under oath. Whether the falsehood concerns parenting, finances, or accusations of abuse, the immediate instinct is to ask, "Can anything be done?" The answer is yes, but the process is not simple, and the remedies depend on the context of the lie, how it is uncovered, and what the court believes the truth to be.

In divorce cases, the stakes are high. False statements can distort custody arrangements, financial support orders, and a party’s overall credibility. For this reason, Maryland courts take deliberate measures to detect deception, evaluate credibility, and impose consequences when necessary. Having an outstanding Glen Burnie, MD divorce attorney who understands how Maryland courts handle cases like this can significantly impact the outcome of your divorce.

Lying Under Oath in Maryland Divorce Cases

Lying in court, known legally as perjury, is a criminal offense in Maryland. However, family law judges do not usually criminally charge people for this behavior. Instead, they focus on the immediate issue before them: Determining what is true, what is false, and how any falsehoods affect the outcome of the case.

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 Posted on July 01, 2024 in Divorce

Readers can contact our Maryland family law lawyers at 410-760-9433, to book a consultation at our Glen Burnie or Cambridge office.

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 Posted on June 06, 2024 in Family Law

Readers can contact our Maryland family law lawyers at 410-760-9433, to book a consultation at our Glen Burnie or Cambridge office.

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 Posted on February 21, 2024 in Divorce

Readers can contact our Maryland family law lawyers at 410-760-9433, to book a consultation at our Glen Burnie or Cambridge office.

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 Posted on February 14, 2024 in Divorce

In a significant shift, Maryland has overhauled its divorce laws, making it easier for couples to part ways. The new legislation, effective from October 1, 2023, eliminates all fault grounds for divorce. This means that couples no longer need to prove adultery, abandonment, or cruelty, thereby speeding up the divorce process and reducing emotional tolls. Instead, the law introduces two new no-fault grounds: a six-month separation and irreconcilable differences.

The six-month separation no longer requires couples to maintain separate residences, and they can now be separated but reside in the same household as long as they maintain separate lives and bedrooms. This change is particularly beneficial for couples for whom maintaining two separate households is not economically feasible.

The introduction of ‘irreconcilable differences' as a ground for divorce allows couples to agree that they just don't get along anymore or can't fix the marriage. This change is a significant step towards making divorce more attainable and less contentious

If you have any questions about how these changes may impact your situation, please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are here to help guide you through these changes and provide the support you need during this time.

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