Maryland criminal law recognizes different types of theft crimes, including shoplifting, larceny, and receiving stolen property. All criminal offenses, regardless of the potential penalties, should be taken very seriously because a conviction can affect a person’s reputation and employability for years to come. If you have been charged with theft, contact a criminal defense lawyer in Owings Mills right away. Your lawyer can defend you from a misdemeanor or felony theft charge .

A misdemeanor theft charge is used when the value of the stolen property is less than $1,000. A conviction is punishable by up to 18 months behind bars and fines of up to $1,000. Theft of an item valued at less than $100 is punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. Theft of an item greater than $1,000 is a felony and is punishable by up to 15 years and $15,000 in fines. For all theft convictions, the stolen property must be restored to the rightful owner or an equal amount of restitution must be paid.

Maryland divorce laws allow both no-fault and fault-based divorce cases. If you inform your divorce attorney serving Owings Mills that you would like to seek a no-fault divorce, he or she will ask you if you have minor children in common with your spouse. Previously, Maryland divorce laws required spouses to prove a legal separation of one year before seeking a no-fault divorce. If only one of the spouses wanted a divorce, that time period was lengthened to two years.

However, new legislation has eased these requirements for some spouses. You may not need to prove a legal separation if you do not share minor children with your spouse. To eliminate the waiting period, you and your spouse must also mutually agree to the divorce and agree to a property division arrangement. If you and your spouse cannot meet these criteria, you can still obtain a no-fault divorce after fulfilling the legal separation requirements.