Rockville, Maryland, Family Law Blog

It's understandable that you want to have active, healthy relationships with your children. Each one is unique and, like most Maryland parents can attest, you've likely already encountered challenges in your parenting journey. Family life is definitely something that can be joyful one day and a tremendous struggle the next, depending on the ages of your children and other issues, such as what happens to be going on in your marriage. If you have decided to file for divorce, you might be a bit anxious about telling your kids.

The good news is that children are generally resilient and adaptable by nature. Divorce certainly disrupts and changes their lives; however, it doesn't necessarily have to ruin them. By knowing what to say or not say and by building a strong support network from the start, you and your children can work together to come to terms with your current situation and transition into a new lifestyle.

With changes in the way that spousal support is handled through income taxes, the discussion surrounding spousal support and alimony has been changing. One of the major questions that people keep asking is if this support is even necessary moving forward.

If you are someone who relies on alimony, the thought of taking away that protection might be scary. However, most people agree that fair spousal support is still a necessity.

Divorce is hard enough, but when you have children involved, the complexity increases significantly. You want to guarantee that your child has the best possible future. That means that you and your spouse have to work together to raise them despite your disagreements and history.

Child custody arrangements can be difficult to agree on but by no means impossible. There are dozens of ways to arrange custody, and each situation may require creative thinking to get the schedule just right. It is most important that you and your spouse will be able to agree on a custody schedule after your divorce and be flexible if and when minor changes are needed.

When you divorce, one of the things you may worry about is your financial independence. You might have relied on your spouse for money, or you may have only worked part-time while you cared for your family. Now, as you divorce, you may not be on sure financial footing.

To stay secure during and after your divorce, you need to have a clear head when you work through your property division settlement and while you get your budget in order during your divorce. You must know the expenses you have and what you need to be able to survive after your divorce. If you were the lesser-earning spouse, you may be able to seek help through spousal support or be able to ask for a greater portion of assets to help you get by.