Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary

Alimony — Arrearage — Overpayment Alla P. Gakuba (“Alla”) and Chrysologue Gakuba (“Chrysologue”)1 divorced twenty-five years ago. After a period of dormancy, the litigation came back to life over Chrysologue’s failure (or refusal) to pay alimony and for Alla’s health ...

Divorce — Settlement — Baseless child abuse allegation The trial court set aside the parties’ agreed-upon marital settlement agreement because it found that C.B. (“Mother”),  had made two “false” and “baseless” allegations of child sexual abuse. Read the opinion

Divorce — Alimony — Upward modification This appeal involves a dispute between appellant, Clayton H. Evans, and his former wife, Patricia L. Evans (“Ms. Evans”). Litigation between the two commenced on August 5, 2011, when, after a long marriage, Ms. ...

Divorce — Marital property — 401(k) On August 1, 2018, the Circuit Court of Anne Arundel County, following a fourday hearing, granted appellant, Teresa Gibson (Teresa) and appellee, Elmer Matthew Gibson (Matthew) 1 a Judgment of Absolute Divorce. In the ...

Divorce — Divorce agreement — Breach These cases, consolidated for purposes of this opinion, represent the third and fourth appeals in a tortuous dispute over ownership of a single-family home located on Peachtree Lane in Bowie, Maryland (“Peachtree Lane”). Since ...

Divorce — Marital property — Military pension On November 22, 2016, the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County granted Isabel Galvez Lopez (“Lopez”), appellant, and Steven Martinez (“Martinez”), appellee, a judgment of absolute divorce. In the divorce decree, the court ...

Divorce — Settlement agreement — Refinancing marital home Ms. Lubna Khan, appellant, obtained a divorce from Mr. Zubair Niazi, appellee, in 2010 in the Circuit Court for Howard County. 1 Approximately four years after their divorce, Ms. Khan and Mr. ...

Divorce — Sealed court records — Special and compelling reasons Andrew N. Ucheomumu, appellant, was not originally a party to either of the cases from which he appeals. They involve the same parties and similar issues. Appellant moved to consolidate ...

Divorce — Alimony — Ability to pay Lisa Lane appeals from the judgment entered by the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County granting her a divorce from her former husband, John Lane. Specifically, Ms. Lane challenges the decision of the ...

Divorce — Separation agreement — Breach In June 2017, following four years of marriage, Donzella Burton McClearn, appellant, and Richard K. McClearn, appellee, executed a voluntary separation and property settlement agreement which was incorporated, but not merged into a final ...