Custody Checklist #6: Kick Your Bad Habits At some point in any hotly disputed custody case your bad habits are going to be an issue. By my estimate Between 20 and 50 percent of all contested custody cases involve exploration of one or both parties’ alcohol, drug, and/or smoking habits What brought the issue of … Read more
Roland
Cinderella Child Support in Maryland In any Maryland custody case the subject of financial issues surrounding the child or children is invariably raised Sometimes divorced or separated parents desire to share expenses of the children on an ad hoc basis and have no formal order for support. While that is not “legal” in Maryland, some … Read more
Custody Checklist #7: Video Recording I almost called this article: “Tape Everything” but “Tape” is not even a verb anymore. Besides, voice recording or eavesdropping in Maryland is illegal (Google: “Linda Tripp”). Before we talk about what to do, let’s talk about what not to do. It is a crime in Maryland to record a … Read more
Custody and Visitation Over the Christmas Holidays The Carroll County Family Law Court and other Maryland Courts have signaled a major change in the thinking around Christmas and holiday visitation. First, one needs to know where the philosophy has been to know where it is going. In the past the standard thinking of custody and … Read more
Child Support Dirty Tricks – Voluntary Impoverishment Does the income of a spouse count in the calculation of child support? Is it voluntary impoverishment? In Frederick County Child support and custody court, I observe people subjected to dirty tricks of all kinds. I chronical these tales for people to be informed and advised of these … Read more
Parental child abduction is in the news. Is it Kidnapping? Child abduction and the writ of assistance. A Mother in Nassau County New York took or attempted to take her…old child and fly the proverbial coup. http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/11-year-old-boy-out-nassau-county-found/ngTt6/ I am asked the question countless times a year by both people wishing to depart the state with … Read more
Custody Checklist #10: What To Do With New Boyfriend/ Girlfriend New Relationships Can Have an Effect in Maryland Custody and Visitation Cases In my experience, the manner and timing parents follow when introducing new significant others can have great bearing upon custody and visitation cases. In any Frederick custody and visitation case the parents of … Read more
Custody Checklist #9: Select Witnesses Using The Witness Matrix Witness Selection is the cornerstone of your Maryland custody case. When selecting witnesses, the first thing to bear in mind is that more is not better. Lots and lots of cases were lost by people who brought the butcher, baker and candle maker all to custody … Read more
Custody Checklist #8: Know the Taylor Factors The factors the judge must consider in a Maryland custody case are sometimes called Taylor Factors You should know them by heart and plan your case around them. Here is how you find them. The way laws work is that they originate from two principle sources. The first … Read more
10 Point Custody Checklist #5: Keep Checks, Receipts and Expense Records for Support The next article in the ten (10) point custody checklist is: 5 Keep Checks, Receipts and Expense Records for Child Support or Spouse Support. Perhaps no other payment in kind or otherwise should be more carefully documented than child support. Yet, there … Read more