In Maryland, divorce cases start with a summons and an agreement. The petitioner works with their lawyer and creates a divorce agreement that is amicable and preserves the rights of each party. The defendant has a limited time to respond to the divorce summons. A family law attorney in New Market explains the legalities of all choices made by their client.
Choosing Divorce Grounds
The divorce grounds offer both fault and no-fault selections. Each of the fault-based divorce grounds requires either evidence to support the claim or a response from the defendant. If the defendant signs an affidavit accepting blame, the petitioner doesn’t need evidence. No-fault grounds show neither party was at fault for the divorce.
Dividing Marital Assets
The division of the marital assets requires an equal split whenever possible. Assets inherited from family or owned before the marriage go to the rightful owner. However, if the inherited property was the marital home, the property could be given to the party that gets child custody.
Reviewing Spousal Support
Spousal support is offered when a spouse can’t retain the same lifestyle they had during the marriage. For example, a person that was a homemaker might receive spousal support until he or she can finish a degree program and increase her or his earning capacity. In some cases, the other spouse pays the full cost of a degree program instead of paying alimony.
Child Custody and Support
Child custody arrangements are based on a joint or sole custody agreement. In joint custody, the parents have equal time with the child and might alternate weeks with the children. With sole custody, a parent might face supervised visitation with the child. The arrangement determines who makes choices for the child and how often visitation occurs.
In Maryland, divorce cases start with a summons and an agreement. The terms of the divorce agreement outline the complete separation of the couple’s lives and explain what is expected. Child custody is explained according to the terms the parents agreed to. Petitioners who need to start a divorce can contact a family law attorney in New Market or browse our website right now.
