We frequently get asked questions about child support in Maryland. Here are some helpful tips:

• Both parents are responsible for providing financial support in Maryland regardless of whether or not they are married.

• The court determines the amount of child support based on the income of parents at the time of the order and certain expenses that are covered. These expenses include 1) work related child care costs; 2) health insurance expenses; 3) extraordinary medical expenses; 4) cash medical support; and 5) additional expenses covered under Family Law Article § 12-204 (i).

• A parent’s child support obligation continues until either your child turns 18 years old or as long as they are registered in high school. Child support will stop once your child turns 19 years regardless of their graduation status.

• A parent can request to modify a child support order if there has been a material change in circumstance. As always, it will be up to the court to make a final decision as to whether that modification request will be granted.

If you need assistance, please call us (443) 741-2567 and we would be happy to meet with you to answer all of your questions.

Working out marital property division during a divorce is challenging. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

1. A couple can come to an agreement as to how to share the marital debt and who is responsible to make the payments on it. This, however, does not mean that the non-paying party is off the hook for that debt. If you are listed on the account and your ex fails to make a payment, the creditor can hold you liable and engage in debt collection against you. Hence, it is extremely important that you confirm with your ex that they are making the monthly payments until that debt is fully paid off.

2. If you shared a marital home and one spouse agrees to let the other keep the marital home, you are not off the hook until you refinance and get your name off the joint mortgage. Some parties assume that signing a quit claim deed gets them off the debt, but it does not! You are still financially responsible to the lender until your name is completely off the mortgage.

3. Any missed payments on your car note and car insurance that is jointly titled in your name will also have an adverse affect on your credit. Make sure you retitle your vehicles and car insurance policies.

4. Any foreclosure actions may affect both parties’ credit and have long-term financial challenges.

It is important to take the time to analyze your financial situation before deciding on how to handle your marital property division. If you need assistance, please call us (443) 741-2567 and we would be happy to meet with you to answer all of your questions.

One of the major complications that parties in a divorce often run into is what do to with their company during a divorce. The first thing one must do is determine if they want to maintain ownership of their business or whether they want to sell it. In a divorce, a business valuation will need to be performed to determine what the company is worth. This process can take some time. A financial breakdown of your company’s past and current assets will need to be provided. Additionally, the business will be assessed based on past revenue and the future revenue it will generate.

Once your business is valued, you have several options to choose from. First, you and your spouse can agree to sell the business and then divide the proceeds. On the other hand, you can pay your spouse their fair share of the business and buy them out of the company completely. Alternatively, some parties may agree to continue their working relationship and maintain running their business together even if they are divorcing.

A business valuation can help you decide what to do with your business and make smart decisions about your future. If you have any questions about the divorce process and how it impacts your business, please call us at (443) 741-2567 and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your case.