Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary

A new Maryland parenting plan seeks to prompt parents involved in custody matters to discuss their children’s needs early in the legal process and to reach as much consensus as possible. Courts began requiring a parenting plan in any case ...

Maryland law has been increasingly willing in recent years to recognize that families are formed in multiple ways, allowing courts to maintain what is in a child’s best interest when a relationship breaks up. De facto parenthood was recognized in 2016 to ...

Proposed legislation would prohibit a potential witness who marries a defendant after the date of an alleged crime from claiming the spousal privilege to refrain from testifying. House Bill 64 proposes an exception to the general rule that one spouse ...

Family law attorneys receive threats of violence and experience violence more often than their peers elsewhere in the legal profession. But it is a part of their practice that is not frequently discussed. Attorneys who attended the annual symposium of ...

Following a national trend, Maryland has been taking steps to remove barriers to divorce. The next steps will likely involve discussions about whether the state should move to a no-fault system. The General Assembly created a new no-fault ground, mutual ...

Maryland lawmakers are considering the creation of an emancipation process for 16 and 17 year olds that also aims to curb marriage by minors, the subject of debate in recent legislative sessions. House Bill 1147 creates a process for minors to ...

A bill to decriminalize adultery has returned to the General Assembly after failing in 2018 due to concerns about its impact on parties’ ability to “plead the Fifth” in divorce cases. Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, D-Montgomery, is again sponsoring the ...

Family law practitioners are working with clients going through some of the most stressful life events, and an upcoming event will highlight the trauma that both attorneys and clients can experience. Family Law University, a continuing legal education event by ...

Both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly have passed legislation eliminating exceptions to state law allowing 15-year-olds to marry, but differences over whether the new minimum age should be 16 or 17 mean the cross-filed bills are likely headed for a conference committee.

Advocacy groups expressed support last week for the concept of a bill providing a path to emancipation for 16- and 17-year-olds but called for a more in-depth discussion before moving forward.