Get free answers to your Family Law legal questions from lawyers in your area.
There was no reason my nephew passed they said some babies do do they have the right to remove my niece from the home
Parent 1 and Parent 2 had a Pendente Lite custody order in place that stated shared legal custody for children. The final court order has since occurred and maintained the shared legal custody framework. It is now 2 years since the Pendente Lite Custody was initially put in place. It was recently... View More 
answered on Jul 15, 2024
Given that no harm or injury was done to the child or to either parent, it is unlikely there is any legal penalty for the grandmother's action.
I would like to obtain my father's birth certificate. He is deceased, and he was born in Maryland. The Division of Vital Records in Maryland only allows people who are listed on the birth certificate (the parents of the child, and the child born) to request an official copy of the birth... View More
answered on Jun 18, 2024
How much money is it worth to spend in order to get a birth certificate of a deceased ancestor? What information is on the birth certificate that you cannot obtain anywhere else?
If you must have it, then you file a "Petition for Appropriate Relief" in the Circuit Court where you... View More
Legal name change of an adult - non marriage or divorce
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answered on Jun 15, 2024
For a legal name change for an adult not related to marriage or divorce, the specific requirements can vary by state. Generally, you will need to provide proof of identity, such as a driver's license or birth certificate. Whether these documents need to be notarized depends on your... View More
My ex has sole legal custody and primary physical custody while I have visitation overnight once a week. She has done shady things behind my back before. I just need to know if she is allowed to give consent for that without having to consult me.
My mother is 80 years old and lives in Florida. We'd like to sell her home and have her come live with me ( a married woman) in Maryland so that I may care for her as she ages in place. We'd like to use the proceeds of the sale to purchase a home in Maryland. I would apply for a home... View More
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answered on Feb 29, 2024
When considering purchasing a home together with your mother, who is a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it's important to understand how co-ownership might impact her benefits. SSI eligibility is sensitive to income and assets. However, a primary residence is not counted as an... View More
Paid 3 thousand dollars for guardianship case for my handicapped brother and it’s turned into an absolute nightmare.
answered on Feb 20, 2024
If the attorney-client relationship is not repairable due to the attorney, and you have a pending case/guardianship matter, you should contact a competent family lawyer right away. It is possible that if you explain the situation, they will work with you regarding attorney fees. You will want to... View More
As part of my divorce, my ex-husband agreed and was part of the judge's decree, that he would pay me 10% of his military pension until one of us died. This took effect in 1997, however, I have not received an increase since then. (He sends the monthly check directly to me; it is not through... View More
answered on Jan 14, 2024
If you were married at least ten years during the time that your ex was in the military, then you can get the pension award issued in the form of a special court order served on the military to receive direct (and retroactive) payment of what you are owed. Either way you will need to file a motion... View More
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answered on Dec 31, 2023
In Maryland, if you have been caring for a child for seven years without legal paperwork, you may consider filing for legal guardianship or custody. This is especially pertinent if you have been the primary caregiver and the biological parents are not involved or unable to care for the child.... View More
The court order states that I need to let the courts and their father know about a move 3 months in advance. Their father lives here in town and has the boys 3 weekends a month. We have been divorced since September 2020. The boys are 8 and 6. I do have passports for the boys. I am concerned that... View More
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answered on Dec 29, 2023
As the custodial parent with sole physical and legal custody of your sons, you generally have the right to make decisions regarding their residence. However, if your court order specifies a notification requirement for a move, it is crucial to adhere to those terms. Before marrying and considering... View More
My former spouse is attempting to get a peace order against my mother due to my mother speaking to my former spouses husbands ex wife. They spoke only on messenger and no derogatory or insulting remarks were made. I do not think simply speaking about someone to another over private messaging is... View More
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answered on Jan 14, 2024
In general, a peace order, or a similar restraining order, is typically granted when there's evidence of harassment, threats, or abuse. If the conversation between your mother and your ex-wife's new husband's ex-wife was merely a discussion without any threatening, abusive, or... View More
answered on Dec 15, 2023
There is no way to absolutely "guarantee" what people will do after one's death but taking the following 2 steps will make it more likely that final wishes will be honored:
1) pre-pay your expenses. If cremation and/or funeral arrangements are made while living and prepaid,... View More
She is the only person that’s paid into the mortgage. She has 6 children one is deceased, 5 living. When she passes away she wants, after the house is sold (it’s already paid off) the money to be split evenly between the 5 living children and the the portion that would have went to her deceased... View More
answered on Dec 7, 2023
There are a variety of planning tools someone can use to name beneficiaries while keeping power to freely change those designations. Perhaps, if your grandmother got good advice, the deed is a life estate deed with full powers still vested in the planner. If so, she could change it freely by a... View More
There is no court order for custody, visitation, nor support - never has been. I paid 18 years and 14 1/2 years on my own. We were both military, I'm now retired and she's still active. She makes more money.
answered on Dec 2, 2023
If she has primary custody of the 14 year old, there would still be a legal obligation on your part to pay child support. How much depends both parents’ incomes and an application of the child support guidelines in the state where the child primarily resides. You should obtain a private... View More
Child’s mother only put child in daycare right before hearing to make child support payment higher. Afraid she will take child out of daycare after hearing.
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answered on Nov 27, 2023
The court can order that the child care portion of child support be paid directly to the daycare provider. This is called an income withholding order for child care expenses. The income withholding order will direct the non-custodial parent's employer to withhold a portion of their wages and... View More
My wife and I get a divorce and I'm ordered to pay some alimony.
Three years later I'm in and out of psych wards depleting me to bankruptcy.
Is my wife legally responsible to any of my own debt or past/future expenses of
a psych ward or nursing home?
Would... View More
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answered on Nov 27, 2023
In general, after a divorce, each ex-spouse is typically responsible for their own debts incurred after the divorce decree is finalized. This means that debts you acquired three years after your divorce, including those related to medical or psychiatric care, would usually be your responsibility,... View More
My wife is worried that if we divorce and I eventually went bankrupt that she will be legally responsible for my finances. She thinks that there's a 5 year look back so if I went bankrupt within 5 years of our divorce finalization that creditors can legally claim her as liable.
answered on Nov 21, 2023
If you file a Chapter 13 petition in the future, it includes a co-debtor automatic stay for claims "dealt with by the Plan".
Filing a bankruptcy does not create a liability in a non-filing spouse. If she is currently liable as a joint obligor, then she remains liable for that... View More
Our prenup gives me a life estate if my husband predeceases me, assuming I continue to pay the mortgage. Do we need to record notice of the life estate?
answered on Nov 3, 2023
Your prenup is statement of intention. Only a recorded deed can pass an interest in land, or create a life-estate. For years our Firm has litigated this issue because the family law lawyers often don’t know how to handle the real property side of a separation agreement. It’s not hard, but it... View More
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answered on Nov 2, 2023
Yes, you can have divorce papers served via certified mail to your spouse's adult sister, whom he lives with and collects his mail. This is a valid method of service under Maryland law.
Once the certified mail package has been delivered to your spouse's adult sister, she must sign... View More
Father pled to child abuse. Mother cleared and given supervised visits after having full custody for 3 years. Father gets released, sees his daughter, the (victim) and dss tries to remove her from mom for letting child mother see her..even though mother didn't deviate from custody... View More
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answered on Oct 15, 2023
While DSS should not retaliate against the mother, it's important to ensure that all actions and decisions are made in accordance with the law and in the child's best interests. Consulting with an attorney who specializes in family law or child custody matters can provide the mother with... View More
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