The process of seeking injury compensation for incidents occurring in the Owings Mills area includes taking legal depositions. During a deposition, a party involved with the personal injury lawsuit will be asked questions. Although this person is sworn to tell the truth at this time, the deposition does not take place in a courtroom. No judge or jury is present.

Your personal injury lawyer can help you learn more of what to expect during the deposition, and you can also watch this helpful animation. It uses the fictitious story of Patty the plaintiff and Debbie the defendant to explain how depositions work. You’ll hear about the types of questions the attorneys might ask. You’ll also learn that if Patty contradicts her deposition testimony while on the witness stand at the trial, she could be accused of perjury.

Maryland criminal law recognizes different types of theft crimes, including shoplifting, larceny, and receiving stolen property. All criminal offenses, regardless of the potential penalties, should be taken very seriously because a conviction can affect a person’s reputation and employability for years to come. If you have been charged with theft, contact a criminal defense lawyer in Owings Mills right away. Your lawyer can defend you from a misdemeanor or felony theft charge .

A misdemeanor theft charge is used when the value of the stolen property is less than $1,000. A conviction is punishable by up to 18 months behind bars and fines of up to $1,000. Theft of an item valued at less than $100 is punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. Theft of an item greater than $1,000 is a felony and is punishable by up to 15 years and $15,000 in fines. For all theft convictions, the stolen property must be restored to the rightful owner or an equal amount of restitution must be paid.

During a divorce in which the spouses share children in common, a family law attorney in Owings Mills can help the parties develop a proposed visitation plan. Normally, visitation occurs at the parent’s house. Occasionally, a judge may order supervised visitation, in which a neutral third party is present for the entire visitation to ensure the safety of the children. If you have concerns about your children’s safety when they are with your ex, talk to your custody lawyer about requesting supervised visitation.

Can I request supervised visitation for my ex?

Maryland family courts generally only require a parent to have supervised visitation if there is a reasonable belief that a child has been neglected or abused by that parent. It is not sufficient to request supervised visitation because you’re concerned the other parent might not help the kids with their homework or enforce limits on TV time. But if you do have reason to believe that your kids are not safe with the other parent, don’t hesitate to voice your concerns to the divorce lawyer.

Where does supervised visitation take place?

This is determined on case-by-case basis. Occasionally, the judge may allow supervised visitation to take place in the home of another relative. Alternatively, supervised visitation may occur at a family services center under the direction of a court-appointed facilitator.

Is supervised visitation the same as a monitored exchange?

Family service centers may also provide monitored exchange programs, but these are not the same as supervised visitation. A monitored exchange program allows the parent to drop off the child at the center and then leave. The other parent then picks up the child for unsupervised visitation.

Is there a fee for supervised visitation?

Some family service centers do charge fees, while others offer free services. Some centers require both parents to pay an upfront intake fee and the visiting parent to pay the hourly charges.

How will I know that my child is safe?

When your child is at a supervised visitation, you can rest assured that he or she will be closely watched by the staff. Staff members are trained to intervene whenever it is necessary to promote appropriate interactions between the parent and child. These staff members have experience working with children affected by divorce and separation, and they can help your child feel safe and secure.

Filing taxes after a divorce can be complex, particularly if alimony payments are involved. Your divorce lawyer in Owning Mills can offer advice about filing your taxes after a divorce. This video addresses a common question that people have about alimony and taxes.

Generally, alimony payments are taxable income for the recipient and deductible expenses for the person paying the alimony. If you are the person paying the alimony, you will need to include the Social Security number of your ex on your taxes so the IRS can determine where those payments are going. If you are unsure about how alimony and other aspects of your divorce may impact your taxes, ask your divorce lawyer for advice or a referral to a tax professional.

Child support law is different from state to state, although parents in every state have a legal obligation to support their children. In Maryland, divorce law establishes a set of guidelines that the court is required to apply in order to arrive at the amount of the payment. When you consult a family law attorney near Pikesville, he or she can answer any questions you may have about divorce law and child support payments.

Completing a Financial Statement

The family court requires parents to complete a financial statement , sometimes referred to as a financial affidavit. This document is helpful for organizing your income and expenses. You will be required to provide accurate information about your total monthly income, alimony you are either paying or receiving, and child support you may already be receiving. You should expect to be required to provide documentation supporting these figures, so it is important that they are accurate. The financial statement also requests information on the child’s expenses, including the monthly health insurance premium, extraordinary monthly medical expenses, school and transportation costs, and monthly child care expenses. The child care expenses must arise from work needs. In other words, you can count payments to caregivers who watch your child during your work hours. Extraordinary medical expenses are those that are not covered by insurance and total more than $100 per condition or illness.

Evaluating Imputed Income

Imputed income is income that a spouse does not actually earn, but is capable of earning. In other words, if the other parent of your child chooses not to work, but is not considered disabled, the court may apply imputed income to the child support formula. In order to do so, the court must determine that the other parent is voluntarily impoverished. Evidence of voluntary impoverishment may include the parent’s medical records, level of education, job-seeking efforts, and work history.

Adjusting the Calculated Amount

The court uses all of these factors to calculate the amount of child support that the noncustodial parent is required to pay. However, if the parents have a combined income of more than $15,000 per month, the court is not required to follow this formula. Instead, the court can evaluate the needs of the children to establish an acceptable child support obligation.