Potomac, MD Family Lawyer
People care about their families deeply. Thus, when someone’s family matters are at issue in a legal dispute, that dispute can get impassioned and aggressive very quickly. Indeed, divorce proceedings, child custody, and other types of family law proceedings are some of the most hard-fought legal battles there can be.
If you are involved in a family law legal issue, you are going to need legal counsel to help you out. We have helped tons of clients through various family law disputes, so know that you are in experienced, competent hands when you work with us.
Call (410) 694-7291 and get an obligation-free analysis of your situation from Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s family law lawyers.
What Matters Can Our Potomac, MD Family Law Lawyers Help You with?
The legal field of “family law” includes a lot of different things. Some family law matters may initially look straightforward, but make no mistake, disputes that center around family law can become extremely intense, as the things at issue are often very important to both parties. Some matters our family law attorneys can help you with include:
Divorce and Prenuptial Agreements
Divorce is probably the most common type of family law issue that gets brought up. Divorce is when a married couple, for whatever reason, does not wish to stay married and wants the court to annul the marriage and fairly divide their assets. There are some criteria that need to be met to get divorced in Maryland. If the reason you are getting divorced happened in the state, then the filing party needs to be living in the state when they initiate divorce proceedings. If the cause of divorce happened outside Maryland, under Md. Code, Family Law Art. § 7-101, you need to live in the state of Maryland for at least six months before filing for divorce based on an event that happened outside the state, and under § 7-301(a), you need to have “grounds,” or a legally recognized reason, to be able to get divorced in the state. We can help walk you through the ins and outs of your situation and take the best course of action for your divorce proceeding.
Even if everything is going well with your spouse, you may want to contact our office to get help with a prenuptial agreement. These “prenups” are meant to spell out what happens in the event that a married couple gets divorced at some point down the road. Prenups are useful in that they may be able to supersede state laws about how assets are split up in a divorce.
Alimony
Alimony payments are court-ordered payments where one ex-spouse is compelled by law to support the other financially. Alimony is commonly awarded when one party is not able to support themselves financially. For example, a court may award temporary alimony during divorce so that one spouse is able to pay for legal counsel.
Child Custody
Child custody means being able to decide things for a child and be physically in their presence. Child custody issues most often are related to divorce, but they can pop up for other reasons. Since parents often feel very strongly about what happens to their children, child custody disputes are frequently extremely hard-fought by both sides.
There are two types of child custody that may be at issue in a case. Legal custody means that a parent or guardian has the ability to make decisions regarding the child’s future, including where they go to school, how they are raised, and other things. Physical custody means that a parent can live with their child.
In addition to deciding who has legal and physical custody, child custody matters can also include whether a parent or guardian has split custody with someone else or can visit their child at certain times. Like with all child custody matters, things can get intense, so it is always good to have an attorney handle things so that they are done as fairly as possible.
Child Support
Also at issue in many divorce proceedings and other family law disputes is child support – or who is going to pay to support a child’s upbringing. Child support disputes can have many complications and influencing factors, including whether a parent wants to be involved with a child’s life, whether a parent can afford to pay for a child, and many other things. However, from the court’s point of view, the ultimate guiding factor is what decision is in the best interest of the child.
Adoption
Not all family law matters involve spouses fighting over one thing or another. In the case of something like adoption, it is very often something both spouses desire deeply. When you and your spouse are looking into adoption, though, you should be aware that the process can take a while and can be quite intense. The state has a strong interest in ensuring that a child goes to adoptive parents who are willing and able to raise a child in a good environment, so they will take a lot of time looking into you and your spouse to see if you are a good fit.
That may sound strict and unfair, but the state is merely looking to get the best outcome for a child who may not necessarily be in the best situation before adoption. When you take your case to our lawyers, we can show the state that you are a good fit for adoption and have the finances and heart to provide a good home and parenting to a child.
Our Potomac, MD Family Law Lawyers are Here to Help You
The family law lawyers from Rice, Murtha & Psoras provide free case analyses when you call our office at (410) 694-7291.