Get free answers to your Family Law legal questions from lawyers in your area.
My son lives with me and goes to his fathers house every other weekend(Friday night and returns home Sundays) he has threaten to claim him as a dependent he also pays child support and we split child care expenses
answered on Dec 19, 2018
He can claim him, but he will not be doing so legally. Your son does not live with him the requisite number of overnights per year to claim him; only you have the right. If you both claim him, the IRS will inquire as to these facts. Parties can, by agreement, split or alternate, by year,... View More 
I am a 21 and haven’t contacted or seen her since my Fathers funeral in 2016. What specific rights of mine is she violating in terms of writing a cease and desist letter to her?
answered on Dec 11, 2018
If her communications can be characterized as persistent, unwanted and seriously annoying to you, after she has been told to stop, then you can file for a protective order in the District Court. If she violates that, she could be charged either with civil contempt or a criminal offense (violation... View More
Recently my daughter in law texted me and out of the blue felt it necessary to tell me that my grandchild who will be born in May, will spend his or her first Xmas in another state with her family and no special arrangements to get together with me for holidays will be allowed. This caught me by... View More
answered on Nov 17, 2018
Unfortunately, you have no legal rights to enforce so long as your son is alive and in the picture. If your son were to die or become imprisoned, Maryland law would allow a grandparent to petition for reasonable limited visitation so as not to freeze out the paternal side of the family. However,... View More
I have a 12 year old who refuses to spend time with her father she is with me 100% of the time we have a home together which he is only on the deed. He left the home voluntarily I want to stay in my home so how does that work and what do I need to do in order to make that happen?
answered on Nov 15, 2018
Without an agreement, the courts calculate the child support amount according to a guidelines chart, based upon the combined gross monthly income of both parents. That gross income number determined the amount of money it takes per month for parents at that income level to raise the child(ren)... View More
I didn't respond to the notice because I couldn't find a lawyer in time. I found out that he has income greater than explained to me. He has been sending me over $500 a month. We have a child support order but its only for $111 a month.
answered on Oct 15, 2018
Your deadline to respond was 30 days after you were served -- whether you had an attorney or not. Once the divorce is final, you cannot go back and ask for alimony.
answered on Oct 10, 2018
Maryland abolished the causes of action known as breach of marriage and alienation of affections, and any similar action, three quarters of a century ago. The engagement ring must be returned if demanded, as that is considered a conditional gift, with the condition being going through with the... View More
Upon discharge they diagnosed visit as overdose. Do I need a lawyer, what do I expect.
answered on Oct 5, 2018
You definitely need a lawyer. Before you speak to anyone you to consult with the lawyer
Hi
My question is, due to the emotional and physical abuse to the woman at the time, is it possible to go back and ask for a change to a divorce settlement bc the woman at the time was not of the right mind to carefully examine and understand her options and rights under the law?... View More
answered on Sep 28, 2018
Unfortunately no. Once a divorce is final, you cannot go back and ask for alimony or any property division. Only custody and child support are modifiable.
If everyone has been following the agreement for four years and receiving the benefits of it, the court is not going to throw it... View More
Hello,
My wife and I live in Maryland. She cosigned on a loan for her Aunt, who lives in Florida, to help her buy a house. Could I be in anyway ultimately responsible for it?
answered on Sep 18, 2018
Maryland does not shift debt to a spouse, so if a husband never signs any loan documents he should not be personally responsible for the debt of his wife.
Whether or not any assets are at risk will depend how they are titled.
While not legal advice, I hope that this helps.
I got married in May 2014 and I got a divorce October 2017. How do I proceed in getting an annulment?
// edit: If I was already granted an Absolute Divorce, is there no possible way to get remarried? Or since I got an Absolute Divorce, I am able to get remarried and that would be considered... View More
answered on Sep 17, 2018
If you are already divorced, you cannot get an annulment. An annulment is a legal statement that the marriage should not have occurred in the first place based on very specific reasons. If you were granted a divorce, that means there was a legal finding that there was a marriage.
My children and I lived in MD for over 3yrs now and I would like their last name to be changed to my married last name. They were born in Michigan and was given a different last name. I don’t know where their bio-dad is. Last I knew he was in Cali. The kids (ages 10 and 9) feel divided and not... View More
answered on Sep 1, 2018
Maryland has the right to grant the name change as the children live here now and are residents. However, the court requires you to make extraordinary efforts to locate the father to try to obtain his consent. This is because it's not custody but a termination of his rights. It can be... View More
She has been in and out of jail/rehab and lives with her boyfriend and his mother. I have 2 other children with my new wife, and we have all beem together as a family for 3 years.
answered on Aug 29, 2018
The concern for the court is -- will this affect the current custody arrangement. If she is supposed to see the kids every other weekend, well that's harder from California. But if it won't affect the current arrangement, unlikely to be able to actually stop it.
However,... View More
I don't know legally what happens if he were to to do this without permission from the guardian . I am working on filing for guardianship , but I am worried about this possibility .
answered on Aug 23, 2018
If the guardianship is over the person, then there may be an issue. If he is otherwise capable of making decisions and living on his own, then he may be able to exercise his free will outside of the guardian's control, except that he would be unable to enter into contracts or own and manage... View More
answered on Aug 13, 2018
You must be separated for one year unless you have reached a written agreement on all issues, financial, property and related to the child prior to filing for the Absolute Divorce.
He intentionally avoids child support by not working, his mom lets him live Scott free in her house and buys him everything. He only works maybe Christmas time and summertime, maybe. His mom claims him on her taxes. Can I sue her? How can I get support from a man who is hardly ever employed but... View More
answered on Aug 11, 2018
All of the support provided to him by his mother can be considered income. Also if he is physically capable of working but does not, the court can impute income to him. You will need an attorney to help you pursue him for child support.
I have suspicion he is driving under a suspended license which is suspended. He has a warrant out for his arrest and no effort has been successfully made to find him. I have an idea where he may be. What steps do I need to take to protect myself and if I do find him can I perform a citizens arrest... View More
answered on Jul 31, 2018
Stay out of it. It is not your job to resolve this problem. Citizens' arrests aren't really a thing anyway. Let the court system handle this. Let your Mom handle it.
If JoJo caught a contempt of court charge for not paying child support.
The he FTA'd the court date and the judge issued a bench warrant. In the info it says 90 days but with 1,000$ Blanket purge.
So does that mean party A with warrant can turn self in with 1,000$ and be... View More
answered on Jul 14, 2018
For civil contempt, the person must be able to purge (fix ) the contempt. If they pay the $1000, no contempt and no jail. Although with a bench warrant they probably have to explain something to the judge first.
Ex's parents are trying to intervene to take his visitation. I shouldn't have to deal with them, should I? He and his parents don't speak. He and I made the court custody agreement. They didnt like it and are trying to not only take his visitation but change what we agreed to.
answered on Jul 11, 2018
The visitation is between you and your ex. His parents cannot just step in and take over his place. You do not have to give them the child for his access. IF he chooses to exercise his access, come get the child and then let his parents see the child during that time, he can do that. But... View More
My ex and my 17 son live with my ex's coworker. While there, he stole $2000. My ex and I have joint legal custody. Am I responsible to have half of that even though it qadnt under my roof.
answered on Jun 9, 2018
A juvenile court judge can order a parent of a minor child to pay restitution to a crime victim, upon conviction of the minor child in juvenile court. If your son has not been charged and found guilty, then you should not respond to any demands for payment from your ex or the co-worker. If... View More
Had little to no contact for those years and zero contact for 3 years. My step daughter got mad at us, ran away, and found her way to her biological mother somehow. We immediately filed for full custody the next morning. When her mother found out (we filed for an emergency hearing), she took her... View More
answered on Jun 9, 2018
This is a very complicated matter, and not possible to fully address on this forum. Maryland should retain jurisdiction over the custody issue under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, but you may have to file an action in Michigan to force the return of your husband’s daughter. Consult... View More
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