Rockville, Maryland, Family Law Blog

You're likely one of many Maryland parents who is feeling a bit overwhelmed at this time as you gear up for another back-to-school season. Perhaps, you have a child who is entering Kindergarten or a growing teenager who is starting his or her senior year. You might be filled with emotion, wondering where time has gone.

If you also happen to be one of many Maryland parents who filed for divorce over the summer, you might be concerned about your children's ability to cope and concerned about how your situation might affect their back-to-school season. It's definitely true that kids often experience a wide range of emotions when their parents divorce. However, if you build a strong support network from the start, your children will likely fare well.

Alimony can be a difficult topic to bring up, but if you've been a stay-at-home parent, it's one that you may need to talk about sooner rather than later.

When you have put your career aside for your spouse, it's fair to ask that they compensate you as you get back into the workforce. That is part of the reason that some people seek alimony. Alimony can be a good way to get some additional income, so you're able to focus on advancing your own career without the stress of financial worries.

Maryland is an equitable distribution state, which means that you and your spouse will need to divide your property equitably upon divorce. Since there is no law to require you to split your property equally, there is no guarantee that you will receive half of the marital assets. To protect your interests, it's a good idea to inform your attorney about your divorce and to begin working on negotiations right away.

Some people are able to come up with property division agreements very quickly. For example, if you and your spouse agree that you both invested into your marriage and would like to split everything 50-50, it might be simple for you to divide your property. However, in other cases, you or your spouse might want to fight for more of your property based on the needs you'll have in the future or the amount of money you put into your marriage.

One thing that many couples don't want to talk about during a divorce is alimony. Alimony, which is also known as spousal support, is an important factor in some divorces. It is particularly common for a couple to have to discuss alimony if they have a large discrepancy in income.

For example, if you were a stay-at-home mom and gave up your career to watch your children, it may be very difficult for you to return to the workforce. Even if you can return to the workforce right away, you may not be making as much money as you would have if you had been working instead of staying home with your children. Regardless of your reasoning for staying home, your spouse may need to pay spousal support to you until your income improves.