Rockville Maryland Family Law Blog

While finances are often a source of tension in marriages, Maryland couples might be surprised to learn that college loans have been identified by some people as the reason their marriages failed. As the costs of college continue to rise, it seems that the consequences resulting from the loans taken to pay for higher education are also rising.

In a study by website Study Loan Hero, 13 percent of responders blamed college loans specifically as the reason their marriage failed. Over a third of all responders said college loans and other financial matters were the reason for their divorce. College loans do have a significant weight on relationship matters as the average educational debt is around $34,144. Students who graduated in 2017 had an average debt of $39,400. Additionally, students owing $50,000 or more tripled over the last decade. Millennials seem to be the ones most affected by these changes since only 50 percent seem on track to eventually earn more than their parents.

Maryland parents planning for a post-divorce future may be thinking about how best to accomplish their goals for successful co-parenting. While the two parents may no longer be interested in a romantic relationship with one another, their commitment to their children is in no way lessened by their decision to divorce. This means keeping some key guidelines in mind to help provide a supportive environment for the children in both parents' homes.

While the divorce may cause some hard feelings between the parents, it is important not to transfer those concerns to the children. Absent a situation of neglect or abuse, children are strongly bonded to both of their parents. It is the responsibility of each parent to encourage their children to interact and communicate with the other parent. In addition, it is important to be honest with the kids about the end of the marriage while sparing them painful and intimate details. Children should not be encouraged to take sides in the divorce between their parents, and they should be reassured that they did nothing to cause the marriage to end.

While alimony can be a tough subject for those getting divorced in Maryland to discuss, it will need to be addressed at some point. In some cases, an individual who may be entitled to support may choose to waive his or her right to it. However, this is generally a bad idea because the option to accept alimony in the future is generally off the table once it has been waived.

To gain leverage during alimony negotiations, it is important that a person has a good understanding of his or her financial situation. This means knowing how much it will take to live after the divorce is finalized. Creating a budget can help a person figure out their projected income and expenses as a single person. From there, it becomes easier to know whether it makes sense to accept an alimony offer.

When Maryland parents divorce over money issues, those matters might follow them after the separation. This is particularly true if there are support payments involved. Such was the case for one couple who split up over career goals and finances.

The father was ordered to pay child support to the mother. A few years later, he was struggling financially and trying to put together a bankruptcy payment plan that would allow him to keep his house. He went to his ex-wife and told her he would be late with the child support payments for a while. His ex-wife gave him a month in which to catch up on support, and when he did not, she turned to the legal system.