Divorce has a reputation for being highly stressful, contentious, and sometimes downright hostile—with good reason. A marriage is an investment in another person that requires hard work and commitment. When it falls apart, there may be plenty of ill will and hurt feelings. But not every divorce has to be characterized by aggression or hostility. With the help of divorce lawyers in Baltimore County or the Owings Mills area, you and your spouse could choose to work collaboratively toward a mutually agreeable settlement. This is particularly important if the marriage produced minor children. Even if a wholly amicable divorce isn’t possible, it’s still wise to try to keep the peace.

Focus on Moving Forward

Marriage often involves making compromises and putting your spouse’s needs before your own. During a divorce or legal separation, it’s time to move forward and focus on your own needs. It’s perfectly alright to mourn for the loss of the marriage, but if you become preoccupied with the past, you may find yourself expressing your resentment to your spouse. Instead, try to look to the future. Make practical plans, such as arranging for housing and possibly counseling sessions with a mental health professional. Take care of your own physical and emotional needs. Plan future projects, such as taking up a new hobby, becoming a volunteer, or going back to school.

Try to Respond, Rather Than React

Keeping the peace during a divorce requires both spouses to refrain from engaging in uncivil behavior. However, even if your spouse treats you in a disrespectful manner, this does not mean that you have to react in a similar fashion. Instead of reacting to unpleasant situations, try to respond. The difference is that when you respond, you set aside strong emotions, consider the situation in a logical manner, and make reasonable decisions.

Consider Entering Into Mediation

Divorce laws in Maryland allow family court judges to require spouses to enter into mediation. However, even if the judge does not order mediation, you may wish to consider it. Mediation is especially ideal in cases involving minor children, since it can help preserve a cooperative relationship. You can speak to your attorney about private mediation options not provided by the court.

It’s no secret that divorce can create financial problems. You’ll need to pay court fees and the fees of your family law attorney near Owings Mills—and those are only the short-term financial consequences. On a long-term basis, you’ll most likely need to rearrange your budget to account for a single income. Depending on child custody, you may need to pay child support. Under family law , you may also have to pay alimony. Additionally, you may need to make alternative living arrangements. To place yourself in a position to move forward with your life as quickly as possible, it’s best to begin preparing financially for divorce as soon as you’ve made the decision to leave your spouse.

Make Copies of Important Documents
It’s not uncommon for one spouse to be less than completely aware of the household finances. However, your family attorney will need to review important documents such as your tax returns. Compile documents pertaining to investments, expenses, and debts, and make copies to bring to your appointment with the divorce lawyer.

Make a List of Assets and Liabilities
While you’re sorting through your financial documents, begin making a list of all of your liabilities, or debts. Make a note of whether the debt is in your name, your spouse’s name, or held jointly. Similarly, make a list of all liquid assets, including bank accounts and investments, and non-liquid assets, such as real estate and vehicles.

Establish Your Own Accounts
If you don’t already have your own bank accounts, it’s a good idea to open checking and savings accounts that are only in your name. However, avoid closing or removing your name from any joint accounts until you speak with your family attorney about this matter. Many people who are preparing for divorce also begin saving cash for legal fees and living expenses during the divorce proceedings.

Speak with a Financial Advisor
Make an appointment with your financial advisor and inform him or her that you’re planning a divorce. He or she can help you understand any issues that may apply to your situation, such as changes in your taxes. Consulting a financial advisor is particularly important if the other spouse handled all or most of the household finances. The financial advisor can walk you through the basics of managing your accounts and creating a single-income budget.

Along with child custody issues, financial matters are typically a top priority during divorce proceedings. Bring along all of your important financial documents when you meet with a divorce attorney serving Owings Mills. Your divorce lawyer will need to review your bank statements and tax refunds, for example. Portfolio holdings can also influence divorce settlements. These include any type of investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, private equity, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds, and futures. All of these are liquid assets.

Non-liquid assets can also significantly influence divorce settlements. Your divorce lawyer will need to know about property that you own, such as homes, vacation homes, vehicles, high-end jewelry, artwork, and similar physical property. As your family lawyer can explain to you, the court will consider the entirety of your finances when determining how to divide assets and liabilities. Other factors may be relevant to your situation, such as whether one party is ordered to pay alimony or child support.

When you consult divorce lawyers in Owings Mills, one of the issues you should discuss is your finances. Your divorce lawyer will review your assets and liabilities , and advise you as to what you might expect from the divorce decree. For example, under family law, your spouse and dependents may be entitled to receive a percentage of the proceeds from your 401(k) plan.

You can hear more about this issue by watching this brief video. This family law attorney explains that the court can issue a qualified domestic relations order, which lists the recipients of a portion of your 401(k) plan. As your family lawyer can inform you, when this order is issued, you’ll be required to send a copy to the administrator of your 401(k) plan.

Divorce laws in Maryland have long been relatively strict compared to family law in other states. However, there have been some recent changes to these laws. Consider talking to your family law attorney in Baltimore County and near Owings Mills about whether these changes may affect your divorce. Specifically, the new legislation may allow your divorce lawyer to help you finalize your divorce much more quickly.

Previous Legal Requirements
You may already know that even if you had an uncontested divorce, Maryland divorce laws required you and your spouse to go through a waiting period before the divorce could be finalized. This applied even in cases in which divorce mediation was successful and the couples reached agreements regarding crucial matters such as asset division, liability division, alimony, child custody, and visitation. The waiting period was one year, which only began on the day that the spouses no longer lived together. If the spouses stayed together for even one night during that one-year period, the waiting period began again. This was particularly problematic for spouses whose financial situations did not allow them to live apart right away, even if they worked out all the details of their divorce. There were a few exceptions to the waiting period. Spouses could finalize a divorce quicker based on several grounds, including if they were accused of adultery or abuse. However, this led many non-adulterous couples to accuse each other of adultery simply to avoid the one-year waiting period.

New Legal Requirements
A new law has changed the waiting period requirements, making it easier for your family law attorney to accelerate the divorce process and allow you to move forward with your life. Under the new law, there is no waiting period for couples, provided they do not have minor children. Couples must also agree on property division to take advantage of the accelerated process. Additionally, the new law requires that both spouses attend the hearing to finalize an uncontested divorce in an expedited manner. Not only does this new law allow divorce lawyers to help divorcing spouses to move forward with their lives, it also restores a measure of privacy to the divorce proceedings regarding the residency of the spouses.

After you’ve compiled a list of divorce lawyers in your area, it can be difficult to determine which family law attorney near Owings Mills is right for you. Of course, you should choose a family law attorney who has years of experience handling family law cases and who knows his or her way around a courtroom. To evaluate the experience of family lawyers, visit their websites and review their biographical data. You may wish to select a divorce lawyer with special skills and expertise, such as one who has served as a domestic mediator for a local court system.

Family law issues such as child custody, spousal support, and property division are complex matters that are often further complicated by the intense emotions of the involved parties. It’s important to choose a divorce lawyer with whom you are comfortable discussing personal matters. Your attorney should give your case the personal attention it deserves, and he or she should be accessible and approachable. It’s also a good idea to select a lawyer who can provide easy-to-understand explanations of complex legal issues.

Each state has different laws and requirements pertaining to divorce. When you meet with your divorce lawyers , they’ll advise you with regard to the specific process for your state. For example, divorce lawyers in Owings Mills will inform you that Maryland has residency requirements. You must also meet the legal grounds for divorce. If these conditions are met, your family law attorney can file a divorce petition on your behalf.

Residency Requirement
You can expect your family lawyers to ask you how long you and your spouse have lived in Maryland. At least one of you must be able to prove that you have been a Maryland resident for at least one year. It is not necessary for both spouses to prove residency.

Legal Grounds
Your family law attorney will review the unique circumstances of your marriage to determine whether you should file for fault or no-fault divorce. If you file for fault-based divorce, you must prove that certain issues were present in the marriage, such as adultery, cruelty, or insanity. Otherwise, you must file for no-fault divorce, which requires that you and your spouse have lived apart without sexual relations for at least one year. Or, beginning October 1, 2015, there are certain circumstances where a one year separation will not be necessary in order to obtain a no fault divorce.

Divorce Petition
If you meet the residency requirement and you have legal grounds for divorce, your family law attorney will prepare the Civil Domestic Case Information Report and a Complaint for Absolute Divorce. The lawyer will then file these documents in the appropriate circuit court. Then, the court clerk issues a copy of the complaint and a Writ of Summons, both of which must be served upon the defendant spouse by a process server or the county sheriff. The defendant spouse will then have 30 to 90 days to file an answer to the complaint. The exact time period depends upon whether the spouse is in Maryland, another state, or out of the country.

Financial Statements
Your family law attorney will use the financial documents and information you provide to prepare a financial statement. Both spouses must complete a financial statement. These documents include information regarding your individual assets and liabilities, joint property and debts, income, and expenses. The financial statements will guide the judge’s decisions with regard to asset and liability division, spousal support, and child support.

When you consult a family law attorney about divorce and child custody issues, he or she will review your case and recommend filing for a no-fault or fault-based divorce. Your divorce lawyers may recommend fault-based divorce if you can prove that your spouse committed adultery, abandonment, or cruelty. For most individuals, filing for no fault divorce is often preferable because proof is not required and the other spouse cannot stop the divorce, even if he or she objects to it.

You can hear more about the legal grounds for divorce by watching this video. You’ll learn how family law can vary from state to state and you’ll learn why states enacted no-fault divorce law. If you’re unsure of whether you should file for no-fault or fault-based divorce, your family law attorney near Owings Mills can offer legal guidance.

Divorce can be one of the most challenging events you will ever face. If you find yourself at the end of your marriage, it is important to have a family law attorney  near Owings Mills who can help you navigate your legal options. Attorney Matthew J. Rudo has extensive experience as a divorce attorney. The circumstances surrounding divorce can be complex. Mr. Rudo understands how child custody laws, alimony laws, and even domestic violence laws can impact the outcome of your divorce, and he can see to it that you receive exceptional legal representation that defends your best interests. Mr. Rudo has also helped clients as a criminal lawyer and personal injury lawyer as well, amongst other practice areas. So if you have been involved in an incident resulting in a criminal accusation against you, or if you have suffered injuries in an accident, lawyer Matthew J. Rudo can make sure that you receive a fair legal outcome.

Meeting with a divorce attorney is usually the first step toward beginning divorce proceedings. This video discusses what you should bring for your initial consultation with a lawyer in Owings Mills.

The end of a marriage typically necessitates a settlement of finances. Before you meet with your lawyer, gather together all pertinent financial documents, including proof of income, debt obligations, and your prenuptial agreement if applicable. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding if current alimony laws may impact either party. If you have children, your divorce consultation is also the time when you should make your custody wishes known. Being as clear, honest, and communicative as possible with your divorce attorney can help in facilitating the speed and outcome of your divorce proceedings.