Before you have your family lawyer file the divorce papers, you should take the time to discuss all of your concerns and your goals for the outcome of the case. If you live near Owings Mills, your family attorney will inform you that Maryland is an equitable distribution state . This means that the judge will order a fair or equitable division of property and liabilities such as credit card debt. Equitable distribution does not necessarily mean that your assets and debts will be split 50/50, however. Debts such as credit card debt can be particularly tricky to resolve during or after a divorce.

How Should I Deal With Joint Accounts?

Talk to your family attorney about closing joint accounts before you file for divorce. If this isn’t possible because a balance remains on the credit card, you may be able to have the creditor place a freeze on the account to prevent your spouse from making purchases with it. Depending on your particular situation, you might also consider talking to your spouse about paying off the account together before filing for divorce. If credit card debt remains during the divorce, your divorce decree should specify who is responsible for paying it.

Why Is the Credit Card Company Pursuing Collections Against Me?

Many people experience problems with creditors long after the divorce is finalized. If your ex-spouse was responsible for paying off a credit card, but your name is attached to the account, the creditor may pursue collection actions against you if your ex-spouse fails to make payments. This is because credit card companies are not required to honor the provisions in a divorce decree. Unfortunately, this also means that the failure of your ex-spouse to make payments could affect your credit score.

Am I Liable for Debt If My Ex-Spouse Filed for Bankruptcy?

Similarly, if your ex-spouse files for bankruptcy and has his or her credit card debt discharged, your name will remain on the joint account and the credit card company can demand payment from you. Bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily erase the debt, but rather eliminates your ex-spouse’s liability for it. However, bankruptcy will not eliminate your ex-spouse’s liability toward you. If the credit card company holds you liable for the debt, you can in turn file a civil lawsuit against your ex to demand damages.

While most couples who marry hope to stay together for the rest of their lives, divorce is a possibility. If you and your spouse agree that you cannot stay married, a divorce can be the best choice for both of you. Up until recently, couples in Maryland who wanted to get a divorce had to wait one year from the time one spouse moved out to make the separation official. Thanks to a new law, however, couples without minor children who can agree on the division of property no longer have to wait. This expedited divorce process indicates progress in the area of divorce law, and respects the privacy of both parties more than the old law. Take a look at this infographic from a divorce lawyer in Owings Mills to learn more about what the new law means for couples in Maryland who are divorcing.

Once a divorce has been finalized, an ex-spouse is at liberty to remarry if he or she chooses. In many cases, the remarriage will not create new child custody issues for families in and around Owings Mills. Maryland family courts cannot include the new spouse’s income in the calculations for child support; these obligations should in theory remain unchanged. However, the other parent may petition for a reduction of child support if the family attorney can demonstrate that the new spouse pays all or most of the custodial parent’s expenses. In addition, it is possible that remarriage will affect a spousal support order.

In certain cases, remarriage might affect the child custody arrangement. For example, if the remarriage precipitates a move out of state for the new spouse’s job, then the remarried custodial parent should consult a family lawyer as soon as possible. The divorce lawyer can advise the custodial parent as to any notification requirements for the relocation. The lawyer may also need to represent the custodial parent if the non-custodial parent contests the relocation and petitions for a modification in child custody.

As stressful as divorce can be on spouses, it’s even more challenging for children. Kids of any age can suffer psychological problems before, during, and long after a divorce. However, there are some steps you can take to mitigate the adverse effects of a child custody case litigated near Pikesville. In fact, some of these recommendations may even be mandated by the child custody order, such as the avoidance of disparaging the other parent in front of the child.

Avoid Using Your Child as a Messenger

Even in an uncontested divorce, children can suffer significant psychological harm if they are made to be active participants in the logistics of child custody arrangements. Parents who wish to avoid communicating with each other may instead ask the child to serve as a messenger. It may seem relatively benign to ask a child to tell one parent that the other will be a little late picking up the child. But doing so sends a subtle message to the child that the parents are incapable of communicating with each other. It also exposes the child to the potentially negative emotional response of the parent who receives the message.

Avoid Cutting Off Communication With the Other Parent

Talk to your family lawyer about including communication provisions in the child custody agreement. The document should include an arrangement for ongoing, regular communication between parents, as well as emergency contact information. While your ex-spouse may be the last person you want to talk with, cutting off communication or communicating through intermediaries is a grave mistake. For instance, it means that you may not discover that your child is struggling in school until the report card arrives or that you might not learn new medical information regarding your child.

Avoid Making Your Child Choose Sides

Parents may not directly inform a child that he or she must choose which parent he or she prefers, but even doing so indirectly can be irreparably harmful to the child. For example, avoid telling your child that he or she can pick which parent to spend a holiday with. Avoid disparaging the other parent in front of the child or asking your child to report on the goings-on at the other parent’s home. Above all, remember to put your child’s best interests ahead of your own.

Divorce has a reputation for being a costly endeavor. And indeed, certain problems are unavoidable, such as making the shift to living on a single income. But there are ways you can slash the cost of your divorce while still investing in the best family attorney you can find in Baltimore County. To learn how, watch this brief video by a financial reporter.

She explains the benefits of going into divorce mediation with an open mind. In fact, in many cases, the court may order you to attempt mediation with your spouse. By working toward compromises on child custody and other issues during mediation sessions, you can potentially reduce the time that you’ll spend in court with your family law attorney.

The most important step to take after being served with divorce papers is to contact a family law attorney with experience in Owings Mills family courts. Being served with divorce papers can be a very difficult—even traumatic—experience, but it’s crucial to act right away because you have a limited period of time in which to file your response. If you do not retain the services of a divorce lawyer promptly, he or she may not be able to file your written answer within this time period.

Review the Legal Documents Carefully

Your divorce lawyer will help you understand the documents you received. Generally, divorce papers include the complaint or petition for divorce, a summons, and a tracking assignment. The tracking assignment informs you which judge has been assigned to your case. The document package should also include a blank financial statement; your family law attorney can prepare your financial affidavit for you. You might receive a motion for temporary orders, which will indicate the hearing date during which the motions will be ruled on. Temporary orders can make provisions for child custody, visitation schedules, and support while the divorce is pending.

Organize Important Information

After you schedule your initial consultation with a family law attorney, you’ll need to organize relevant documents. These include documents pertaining to marital assets, such as retirement accounts, savings accounts, stocks and bonds, and checking accounts, as well as documents pertaining to your income, like income tax returns and paystubs. Make copies of these statements and make copies of tax returns, credit card statements, and loans. It’s also a good idea to make copies of your children’s birth certificates, health insurance cards, medical records, daycare invoices, and daycare records. These documents may be useful in determining support obligations and demonstrating your involvement in your children’s daily lives.

File an Answer

After you meet with the divorce lawyer, he or she will draft your written answer to the divorce petition and file it with the appropriate court. Then, your lawyer will guide you through the next steps in the divorce process, such as preparing for upcoming court appearances and divorce mediation.

Important child custody issues are typically determined via divorce mediation or by the judge in your child custody case in Owings Mills , or anywhere in the Baltimore metro region. The parent that has been awarded legal custody of the child makes decisions regarding healthcare and medical procedures. Legal custody is different from physical custody, which determines which parent a child will live with on a day-to-day basis. Legal custody determines which parent will make long-term decisions about a child’s upbringing and welfare, such as medical decisions.

In most cases, the court will award parents joint legal custody of the child. This means that both parents will have to consult with each other about medical decisions and medical care. If they are unable to reach an agreement regarding medical decisions, they may need to attend divorce mediation or a court hearing before a judge.

A judge may aware sole legal custody to one parent, allowing that parent sole control over medical decisions made for the child. This typically only occurs if the other parent is determined to be unfit to make important decisions. This may be due to a physical or mental illness, drug or alcohol addiction, or past abuse.

Navigating divorce laws in Owings Mills is never easy, particularly if you are a senior. When you go through a divorce and one or both partners are retired, it can be difficult to determine financial obligations and responsibilities. If you are going through a divorce over the age of 50, it is crucial that you hire an experienced divorce lawyer who can help you reach an appropriate financial settlement.

Watch this video for some valuable financial tips for seniors who are facing divorce. Ken Moraif of Money Matters discusses the key financial elements you must consider throughout your divorce proceedings.

If you’re going through a divorce, you may need to discuss alimony laws in Owings Mills , or anywhere in the Baltimore metro region, with your divorce lawyer. Alimony is typically awarded based upon the financial resources of each partner, including assets, income, expenses, benefits, and bonuses. Here is some advice for negotiating an alimony settlement during your divorce proceedings.

Evaluate Your Spouse’s Resources

The judge presiding over your divorce case will use financial records to determine how much alimony you should be awarded. Even in an uncontested divorce, you and your spouse will need to file financial affidavits with the court that detail your financial resources and expenses. These affidavits will determine both your spouse’s ability to pay, and your own financial needs. These affidavits should detail you and your spouse’s separate assets, your individual monthly income and expenses, and any regular bonuses, benefits, or overtime wages that either of you receive. They should also include an itemization of money that is in stock portfolios, IRA accounts, and any other savings or investment accounts that either of you hold.

Evaluate Your Needs and Expenses

You and your divorce lawyer will then need to evaluate your personal needs and anticipated expenses. You should look at the difference between your monthly income and your monthly expenses, and then compare it to the financial resources that you have, and your spouse’s financial resources. There is no standard formula used in alimony negotiations to determine the appropriate amount of alimony that should be awarded. Your divorce lawyer will just have to ask for the amount that you believe you will need in order to meet your expenses.

Consider Your Child Support Award

Child support orders are separate from alimony orders, but you should still consider your childcare expenses when negotiating alimony. You cannot include child support expenses in your alimony request. Instead, you should factor in the additional monetary support you will receive for child support in an effort to ensure your alimony request is fair. Your spouse cannot reduce the amount of child support that he pays in order to increase your alimony award, however.

If you aren’t sure if there has been a final decree issued in your divorce case or divorce mediation in Owings Mills , or anywhere in the Baltimore metro region, you should contact your divorce lawyer. Your divorce lawyer will be mailed an official copy of your divorce decree or divorce mediation agreement as soon as it is entered by the court. You can also call the court record’s department to check on the status of your case, or look up your court case online.

Watch this video for more tips on how to find out if a divorce has been finalized. Robert Todd, an experienced family law attorney, walks you through the steps of checking on the status of your divorce decree.