I see you're in Edgewater, MD. Although I'm a <a href="https://www.ostendorflaw.com/practice_areas/maryland-divorce-lawyer.php">divorce lawyer in Baltimore County</a>, I can provide some general guidance on this issue as it's a common question that often arises... View More

You need a lawyer to review the jurisdictional issues. The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act has been codified in both CA and MD (and every other state, I believe) and there must be a hearing first to determine which state court will hear the case and exercise jurisdiction... View More

Who cares where you get divorced? You have a signed separation and property settlement agreement which I assume resolves all issues between you, so why expend time and money arguing over which court to get the divorce judgment from? If both parties voluntarily participate in one of the divorce... View More

An appeal from the circuit court goes first to the Appellate Court of Maryland (formerly called Court of Special Appeals). Although the Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly the Court of Appeals) has the discretion to take jurisdiction over an appeal pending before the Appellate Court, it rarely does... View More

"Can" you file for alimony? Yes. Will a court award you alimony? Not enough facts to evaluate that claim. 7 years separation with no contact will not help, but is not determinative. Length of marriage prior to separation, total length of marriage including period of separation,... View More

The brief should be "spiral bound" along the left margin. Staples are not accepted. Any quality copy center or brief printer should be able to help you. And if you are the appellant--the brief cover must be yellow, as well as the record extract. The brief should be printed on ONLY one... View More

You need to be careful about how you use or report this information. You benefited financially from this fraud, by way of subsidized housing. How do you explain having such low housing expense all those years, without knowing the reason for it? If you received a benefit you were not entitled to,... View More

By a court, no:

Family Law Code 8-103:

(b) The court may modify any provision of a deed, agreement, or settlement with respect to spousal support executed on or after January 1, 1976, regardless of how the provision is stated, unless there is a provision that specifically states... View More

As a co-signer, you owe the full balance of the loan. Your husband's actions are no defense. If both you and your husband are co-defendants in a lawsuit, you can file a cross-claim against your husband if your arrangement was that he was to pay for the whole loan, and then you'd have a... View More

You can file a motion to (1) hold your ex in conempt of the court order to pay the full child support amount, and (2) enforce the child support order. You will need to list the total amounts over the time period he should have paid, and th amounts he actually paid, to support your motion. If you... View More

Impossible to answer on these facts. First, I would urge you to call a divorce lawyer, and provide a few salient details: how long married; any minor children; employment income of both spouses; real property; financial assets; retirement/pension assets; abuse allegations; separated or not; have... View More

A names "comes off" property by a deed that gets recorded in Land Records. If this wasn't handled in the divorce, you may want to talk to a real estate attorney who can prepare a deed conveying to your ex.

A deed does not change who has responsibility on a mortgage, but... View More

Generally speaking someone cannot transfer ownership of property without paying off the mortgage balance in full. However, things are a bit different for a husband and wife. A federal law called the Garn St. Germain Act allows a spouse to essentially take over a mortgage for a home if they are... View More

Most mortgages aren't assumable, so he won't be able to "take over" the loan. Refinancing is the only option. If you remain on the deed, you'll probably have to sign the mortgage (not the note), so you may talk to a real estate attorney about the option of transferring the... View More

The general rule that mortgages are not assumable does not usually apply to situations where a spouse is getting a home. There is a specific federal law that allows a husband or wife to continue paying the mortgage in the ordinary course. To get more details you could contact an experienced... View More

If you wish to remove your name from the underlying note, he must refinance. Period. "Taking over" often means he promises to make your payments, without changing the terms of the note and deed of trust. That must means you remain exposed when he misses a payment.

Your best course is to require that he refinance or that you sell the property. As long as you are on the mortgage, you are responsible for the mortgage loan and it will appear on your credit report as your debt.

You do not "file" for legal separation. You either file for divorce (if you meet the statutory grounds), or you and your spouse can sign a marital separation and property settlement agreement that resolves all your marital rights. Alternatively, you can just sign an agreement to... View More

This question (or some variation of it) gets asked a lot.

The GENERAL rule is that a mortgage is not assumable. However, a federal law changes how the general rule applies in certain family situations involving residential property. When a home is transferred to a husband or wife, the... View More

The simple answer is that he cannot take your name off the mortgage. He needs to refinance to take your name off the mortgage. There is an old strategy whereby he can assume the mortgage but this takes the approval of the mortgage company. The mortgage company would, however, still want to keep you... View More