Waldorf, MD Family Law Lawyer
Legal matters that fall under the category of “family law” can often become heated and contentious very quickly. Family law can affect the parts of someone’s life they care about the most, and often, both sides of a family law issue will have strongly held different opinions about one matter or another. Handling something like divorce, adoption, child support, or other family law issues can be extremely difficult without legal help. This is true not just because of legal complexities but also because emotions running high can make people lose sight of the full picture.
Fortunately, we are here to help. Our lawyers have handled many family law matters, so we know what to do to work towards getting you a favorable outcome from any family law dispute, hearing, or other legal matter. We understand just how important these issues are to our clients, so we take them equally seriously.
To get a free review of your claim from our family law attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.
Family Law Issues Our Lawyers Can Assist You with in Waldorf, MD
“Family law” encompasses a wide range of things that all deal with spousal or familial relationships in some way. While some of the things family law deals with may initially appear simple, the reality is that all of them have some degree of complexity and require the assistance of our family law lawyers. Even when both parties start in a cooperative manner, communication can break down, emotions and other tensions can rise, and a myriad of other problems could potentially pop up, so it is always better to have legal counsel in your corner than to try and handle it all by yourself.
Divorce
In many cases, family law has become synonymous with divorce. Indeed, many family law issues are divorces or related to divorce. In order to file for divorce in Maryland, you need one of three “grounds” outlined in Md. Code, Family Law Art., § 7-103(a) – six-month separation, irreconcilable differences, or mutual consent. Our attorneys can examine your situation and either initiate divorce proceedings or help you through currently ongoing ones.
Prenuptial Agreements
Prenuptial agreements are legal agreements made by spouses to outline how things play out in a hypothetical future divorce. The purpose of a “prenup” is to have a framework for dividing assets during divorce so that there is less potential confusion and hostility between the parties.
However, just because prenuptial agreements are made in advance does not mean that you will not potentially need legal help. Depending on how long it was between the prenuptial agreement and the divorce, you and your spouse may have changed dramatically. It is entirely possible that a spouse agreed to a prenup in the past but now has second thoughts and different opinions about how things are playing out.
If you have concerns about a prenup in an upcoming divorce hearing, we can help you challenge the agreement or enforce it. Additionally, if you are just looking to create a prenuptial agreement, we can assist you with writing it.
Child Support
“Child support” refers to payments from one parent to another to support their children. Courts will require child support payments pretty much any time parents begin to live separately in order to ensure that both parents contribute to a child’s upbringing and to ensure that a child has an acceptable quality of life. Child support payments may be used to cover anything from education costs to financing extracurricular activities to food, clothes, medical care, and more.
Child Custody
Child custody cases deal with who is allowed to live with and make decisions about children. Since two people’s children are at issue, child custody hearings can often get extremely bitter and emotional. Fortunately, our attorneys can work with you through every step of these difficult proceedings.
In child custody proceedings, both the physical and legal custody of the child can be at issue. Physical custody refers to which of the child’s parents the child can be around or live with, while legal custody refers to which parents have the right to decide things regarding the child’s education, upbringing, and other determinations.
Adoption
Adopting a child into your family is something many couples and individuals look forward to. However, the process can be quite laborious and time-consuming. Essentially, the state or the adoption agency you are working with is trusting you to take care of a child they place with you, so it should come as no surprise that the adoption process is taken incredibly seriously. You will have to undergo background checks and other screenings, and you will have to provide information demonstrating that you are a good fit to adopt a child. For example, you may need to demonstrate that you have the financial capital to provide for another family member. Of course, our attorneys can work with you to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
Alimony
Alimony consists of payments from one spouse to another with the goal of financially supporting the recipient. Courts may award alimony when one spouse cannot support themselves, either temporarily or permanently, or when one spouse is significantly more well-off than the other.
Many spouses desperately need to be awarded alimony payments to get back on their feet, or even just to afford a lawyer during court proceedings. For others, making alimony payments can create significant financial stress. No matter what side of alimony payments you find yourself on, you should let our attorneys handle the situation so that we can make sure things are playing out fairly.
Call Our Waldorf, MD Family Law Lawyers for Assistance
Rice, Murtha & Psoras have family law lawyers ready to help you with your situation when you call our office at (410) 694-7291.