A divorce is one of the most stressful times in anyone’s life. At times, it can feel like your human rights are being taken away from you. How do you protect yourself during a divorce? What steps can you take to make sure your…
If you slip, fall, and injure yourself in Maryland, are you owed compensation? Not necessarily. Maryland slip and fall law is based on a fault system. This fault system means businesses and property owners are not automatically liable whenever someone falls and injures themselves…
With 2014 drawing to a close, it’s important to consider your tax situation. The holiday season brings a commendable impulse to give gifts and be charitable, but it’s important to consider the law to make sure your gifts help everyone they are intended to. Consider…
In 2008, Britney Spears was ordered to pay Kevin Federline, a “pizza delivery boy and dancer”, $40,000 a month. A few weeks ago, newspaper headlines announced that Katie Holmes would receive $400,000 a year from Tom Cruise. These high profile divorces can obscure expectations of…
A divorce involving children adds emotional, practical and financial challenges to an already difficult process. Determining child custody leaves the non-custodial parent with a big question mark: how much will I need to pay for child support? Child support payments provide for the normal expenses…
When former Maryland governor and mayor of Baltimore, William Donald Schaefer, died in 2011, he left $1.4 million to a civic fund in his name. The Baltimore Community Foundation administers the William Donald Schaefer Civic Fund whose purpose is to make several grants each year for…
The Boston Marathon tragedy serves as a reminder that while we can’t control our destiny, we can take steps to prepare ourselves and loved ones for the worst. Advance directives provide us with an opportunity to state our preferences for health care decisions in the…
Maryland law provides several grounds for divorce. The following is a list and brief description of grounds for an absolute divorce: Adultery Desertion, if desertion continued for 12 consecutive months, was deliberate and final, and the parties have “no reasonable expectation of reconciliation” Conviction of a…
Researchers from Rutgers University predict that in the next four decades the United States will experience a shift in its population demographics. Based on the results of a multi-disciplined study which included researchers with backgrounds in mathematical, behavioral and social sciences, engineering and physics, the report predicts…
The process of dividing property between a divorcing couple ranks near the top of the stress scale. Maryland law provides for the equitable distribution of marital property. Through this process, the court distributes both assets and debts. By court interpretation, equitable does not necessarily mean equal or require a…