Parents in Maryland who get a divorce should be aware that there are multiple parenting and financial restrictions in place once they have started the legal process. For example, taking one’s children outside of the country may not be allowed during a contentious divorce or if there are custody issues to address as the courts want to prevent situations in which parents may hold their children in another country to prevent the other parent from having custody.
The specific laws will vary from state to state, but there are some general rules it may be wise to follow. Once the divorce process has started, neither party can dispose of or transfer assets. This means that financial accounts cannot be emptied, vehicles and homes cannot be sold, and credit cards cannot be used to make excessive purchases. Neither should either party try to remove the other party’s access to any shared financial accounts.
The reason for these rules is so that the assets cannot be used as tools of retaliation by one party against the other. The courts want to have the financial situation remain the same as much as possible during the divorce so that any related issues can be resolved legally and justly.
The children are not to leave the state without there being a written agreement from the other parent or a legal order. Parents who do take their children out of the state contrary to any automatic temporary restraining order may face legal consequences.
A divorce attorney may litigate to obtain favorable settlement results for clients regarding divorce legal issues, such as child custody and asset division. The attorney may inform clients of their legal options regarding child support, spousal support, modifications to existing support orders, parenting time and visitation plans.