Students cannot choose the schools they want to attend. Students are assigned to the school in the school district where they reside. That is referred to as the “home school”. In order to qualify for a Change of School Assignment (COSA), the parent or guardian must show that there is a documented and unique hardship.…
We are often contacted by people who initially want to know how to separate from their spouse or have already separated and want to know what the next step is. Two important issues must be evaluated in either situation. Quite frequently parties sign a document known as a “separation agreement” which documents the actual date…
There is no Maryland law that lists out what visitation schedule is in your child(ren)’s best interests. Nor has such a formula been established by developmental experts. Most competent experts believe that a visitation schedule must be based on the physical age and the temperament of the child, the ability of the parents to cooperate,…
Legal custody means the authority to make long-range decisions about a minor child’s health, education, welfare, religious needs, etc. It is the lawful authority to parent a child. There are two types of legal custody: joint and sole. Joint legal custody means that both parents have equal control of the decision making for their child.…
Collaborative divorce is a cooperative team approach to divorce that is gaining followers among the growing number of people who are seeking a more compassionate, less divisive alternative to the traditional adversarial approach to divorce. Rather than opposing each other in a courtroom where a judge determines how property and financial assets will be divided,…
“Bitter adversaries” is the presumed default setting for American divorce, yet many couples harbor no particular resentment toward each other when their marriage ends and would prefer to dissolve their union without rancor. Collaborative divorce offers couples the opportunity to end their marriage on their own terms and in their own way without adversarial litigation.…
Before Separation or Confrontation You must review a variety of documents with your attorney in order to evaluate your case, prepare yourself in advance of separation, prepare yourself to work toward a settlement, or prepare a suit for divorce. As a result, you must, at a minimum, obtain and retain the following documents in your…
Mental health issues may lead to divorce, or result from or be exacerbated by, separation and divorce. As with the other personal challenges described above, in order to work effectively with an attorney, manage one’s life, care for children, and prepare for settlement or trial, a person must be in the best mental health condition…
A parent with anger management issues should seek competent evaluation and/or treatment immediately if friends, family, co-workers, or they themselves believe an anger management problem might exist. Anger management must be addressed and brought under control in custody/visitation cases. Anger control may develop or become worse as a result of the separation and divorce process.…
