Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Must You Prove To Modify A Custody Agreement In Maryland?
In Maryland, child custody refers to the legal and physical arrangements made for the upbringing of a child. In any divorce case involving children, a final order is entered detailing each parent’s legal and physical custody rights with regard to each child. The parent who does not have primary custody still has visitation or… Read More »
What Is A Protective Order In Maryland?
According to Maryland statute, a protective order is an order issued by the court that prevents an individual from committing certain acts against another individual. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as a restraining order. In this article, the Maryland divorce lawyers at Schlaich & Thompson Chartered will discuss protective orders and how they… Read More »
Non-Marital Property In A Maryland Divorce
When a couple divorces in Maryland, all of their property is divided into two categories: marital property and non-marital property. Non-marital property was acquired before the date of the marriage or through inheritance or gift after the marriage; whereas, marital property is any other property that was acquired during the marriage. In other cases,… Read More »
Grounds For Divorce Updated Back In 2023
The Maryland legislature made major changes to family law back in 2023 doing away with limited divorce and updating the grounds for filing a divorce. Prior to October of 2023, Maryland law permitted two types of divorce: limited and absolute. As the name suggests, an absolute divorce was a permanent severing of all legal… Read More »
Voluntary Impoverishment As A Means Of Avoiding Child Support Payments
Divorce is an emotional affair and sometimes, those feelings careen out of control. A parent may seek to voluntarily impoverish themselves as a means of avoiding child support payments just to “stick it to” the other party. Regardless of their efforts, parents are required to pay child support payments to the custodial spouse. In… Read More »
Factors That Determine Alimony In A Maryland Divorce
Alimony constitutes a payment from one spouse to the other after a divorce has been finalized. The purpose of alimony is to ensure that the recipient spouse is self-supporting and can maintain their standard of living. Maryland courts generally award rehabilitative alimony to a spouse who doesn’t earn as much as their former partner…. Read More »
The Benefits Of Divorce Mediation In Maryland
There’s no such thing as a stress-free divorce. But you can reduce the amount of stress and animosity in your divorce if you choose to pursue a mediated divorce over a litigated one. Additionally, mediated divorces are cheaper than litigated divorces and tend to be less stressful as well. In this article, the Maryland… Read More »
Former Maryland High School Worker Convicted of Sex Crime Against Student
A former Safety and Security Assistant at a Maryland high school was recently convicted of a sex crime against a minor student who attended the school. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under Maryland’s rules regarding sex offenses. The 22-year-old defendant was convicted of sexual… Read More »
Maryland Updates Stalking Law To Include Electronic Communication
In October of 2022, Maryland updated its stalking laws to include electronic communications that are meant to instill fear or the threat of physical violence. Up until this point, stalking had to be conducted in person. The text of the law included the words “approaching or pursuing”. In this manner, those who committed digital… Read More »
What Is Emergency Family Maintenance And How Does It Relate To Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is unfortunately a common occurrence in Maryland. For that reason, the Maryland courts have several provisions in place to help those who have been abused by a spouse. You may be able to seek an interim protective order, temporary protective order, or a final protective order from the court. These orders prevent… Read More »
