Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary

There is a well-worn joke about a lawyer who runs into an old acquaintance on the street. “I’m so glad to see you!” the friend exclaims. “I’m in terrible trouble — can I ask you a couple of questions?” “Of ...

You’ve likely already heard the term “gray divorce,” which refers to the rising rate of divorces among spouses age 50 and older. As the average age continues to increase, a growing segment of these cases involves one spouse suffering from ...

In the 2016 case, Conover v. Conover, Maryland’s Court of Appeals recognized the rights of “de facto parents.” Conover v. Conover, 450 Md. 51, 146 A.3d 433 (2016). De facto parents are individuals who have a parent-like relationship with a ...

Most estate planning lawyers (as well as family law attorneys) would agree that it makes good sense for a couple who has separate finances and who plan to marry to enter into a prenuptial agreement, setting forth their respective rights ...

The #MeToo movement may have shifted the balance of credibility on sexual abuse and harassment at work more toward victims and away from alleged perpetrators. But the same cannot be said regarding men’s violence and abuse at home: In fact, ...

Maryland is home to thousands of military families and hosts 11 military bases. For military families or individuals going through custody proceedings, the process can require additional considerations that civilian families do not have to contemplate. To address custody considerations ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the number of public adoptions, those involving children in foster care, or Children In Need of Assistance. In November 2019, Maryland recorded 49 adoptions of foster care children. This number decreased to 9 adoptions ...

I was adopted in Colorado in the late 1960s. At the age of 20, I was stricken with a serious illness that necessitated access to my medical history, including my birth family’s history. To my distress, I discovered I had ...

States’ financial investments in public benefit programs for low-income families are associated with less child abuse and neglect, also known as maltreatment. These investments are also associated with less need for foster care and maltreatment-related deaths, according to our recent ...

Judges handling divorce cases in Maryland and across the county are being asked to resolve thorny issues of custody that can involve COVID-19 vaccination disputes. Here’s how one judge in New York dealt with it. Justice Matthew F. Cooper of ...