Elkridge, MD Divorce Lawyer

Skilled Divorce Attorney for Clients in Elkridge, Maryland

If you and your spouse are going through a divorce, you may feel overwhelmed by the legal procedures. During this stressful time, you could benefit from the services of an Elkridge, MD divorce attorney.

Considering everything that is at stake for you, your divorce should be handled with care. At DM Family Law, Attorney David Marquardt is here to provide you with personalized counsel and advocacy to help you resolve your divorce. With more than 20 years of family law experience, he has assisted numerous clients in complex, emotionally challenging cases. As a solo practitioner, Attorney Marquardt will devote all of his resources to helping you resolve your divorce as efficiently as possible.

Complex Property in Maryland Divorces

In a high asset divorce, you and your spouse may have a sizable marital estate to sort through together. Some of your most valuable assets may include:

• Real estate properties
• Investments
• Retirement accounts
• A family business
• Expensive art pieces and jewelry

If you and your spouse can agree on how to divide these properties on your own, court intervention may not be necessary. If not, you could try to involve a third party like a mediator or an arbitrator who can help you resolve any points of contention.

As a last resort, you could consider litigation to handle a property dispute. Maryland adheres to a legal principle known as equitable distribution when dividing up marital property in court. This means that the judge will allocate your property in a way that is fair to both you and your spouse.

Child-Related Issues in Maryland Divorces

Divorcing as a parent comes with extra complications. First and foremost, you and your spouse will have to decide how to split up the responsibilities of child custody, which consists of:

• Physical Custody: This refers to the amount of time each parent spends with the child throughout the year. It includes the right of a parent to reside with their child as well as visitation.
• Legal Custody: This gives a parent the right to make important choices in the child's upbringing.

If one parent is awarded primary physical custody of the child, the non-custodial parent will be responsible for paying child support. The responsibility of child support is enforced by law, and if your co-parent will not pay the support that you are owed, you can petition the judge to take legal action against them. To enforce an order of child support, the non-paying parent could be held in contempt of court.

Alimony Payments in Maryland

During your divorce, you have the right to request alimony. When deciding whether or not an alimony award is appropriate, the court can consider different factors, such as:

• The financial resources available to each spouse
• The standard of living that was established during the marriage
• The length of the marriage
• The circumstances that led to the breakdown of the marriage
• The age and health of each spouse

Alimony awards usually come with set timeframes. Some alimony awards may only last until the divorce is finalized, while other awards can last until you become able to support yourself financially. Similar to child support, an award of alimony can be enforced by holding the non-paying spouse in contempt of court. Wherever you stand in an alimony dispute, our firm can help you work toward a favorable outcome, making note of your financial situation.

Meet With an Elkridge, MD Divorce Attorney

At DM Family Law, we can help you protect your best interests while doing what is right for your family. To schedule a free consultation with our Elkridge, Maryland divorce lawyer, reach out to our Elkridge, Maryland divorce lawyer or call our offices at 443-545-8100.