Cape Saint Claire, Maryland Divorce Lawyers

Attorneys for Parenting Plans and Marital Settlement Agreements in Cape Saint Claire

When you are preparing to get a divorce, you may struggle to fully understand all of the issues that you will need to address and how they may be resolved. In many cases, reaching a negotiated resolution to your divorce will be preferable, since working to finalize the terms of a settlement outside of court can be a much faster and easier process than bringing matters before a judge. To ensure that you fully understand what issues will need to be addressed and how they may be resolved, you can work with a skilled and experienced divorce lawyer during your case.

At Silverman Thompson, we help clients from all walks of life complete their divorces successfully. We can provide the legal help you need to negotiate agreements that are fair, will stand up in court, and will provide for your ongoing needs. Our goal is to provide you with the tools for success so that you can resolve any concerns you may encounter and achieve a positive outcome to your case.

Negotiating a Divorce Agreement

By negotiating a marital settlement agreement, you can make sure every issue involved in your divorce will be addressed correctly. When you and your spouse agree on a settlement, you will file it in court, and after it is approved by a judge, it will become a legally binding court order.

To ensure that you will be able to reach agreements that will protect your rights and meet your needs, you will need to fully understand the financial issues involved in your case and the potential options for resolving legal concerns. You will also need to be prepared to discuss issues openly, make compromises when necessary, and find ways to reach solutions that are satisfactory for both you and your spouse.

Our attorneys can help you prepare for divorce negotiations by ensuring you have a full understanding of the assets you own, other financial issues that may affect you and your spouse, the options for addressing issues related to your children, and other information that could play a role in negotiations. We can help you make proposals for how certain issues may be resolved, respond to suggestions by the other party, and work toward resolving your differences. While we will focus on effective settlement negotiations, we will be prepared to represent you if litigation will be necessary to resolve any outstanding issues.

Parenting Plans

For parents, a parenting plan is a required part of a divorce settlement. The parenting plan will detail the terms of child custody arrangements while making sure you and the other parent understand how various child-related issues will be handled going forward.

Some of the key issues addressed in your parenting plan will be related to legal custody. Its terms will detail who will have the authority to make major decisions about your children's upbringing, including matters related to their education, the medical care they receive, their activities, and participation in religion. You may agree that you and your spouse will share joint legal custody, with an equal role in making decisions. If this will not be appropriate, or if conflict may prevent you from cooperating to make decisions, you may choose to give one parent sole legal custody over certain types of decisions.

Other terms of your parenting plan may include:

• The Regular Parenting Time Schedule: Your plan will detail the days and overnights when your children will spend time with each parent. This schedule should be specific, ensuring that both parents understand when children will stay in each home.
• Holiday and Vacation Arrangements: The plan can also detail when children will stay with each parent on major holidays, school breaks, or other days that fall outside of the regular parenting time schedule. This can help prevent conflict about when parents can see children on specific days.
• Transitions: You can agree on where and when pickups and drop-offs will occur, who will be responsible for transportation during different days and times, and how changes to these schedules may be made for extraordinary circumstances.
• Communication: You may agree on rules for how you and the other parent will communicate with each other about your children's needs, schedules, or other important details. Your plan may also provide information about when children can communicate with one parent while staying with the other parent, ensuring that calls or messages are made at appropriate times.
• Dispute Resolution: Your parenting plan can provide a process that will be followed to resolve any disagreements that may arise, including when either parent requests modifications to the terms of the plan.

Other Issues in a Marital Settlement Agreement

Your divorce settlement may also involve decisions about issues such as:

• Property Division: After you and your spouse identify all of your marital assets and debts, your settlement agreement can detail the decisions you make about how ownership of property will be handled going forward. It can also detail who will be responsible for paying off certain debts.
• Alimony: Spousal support may be an issue to address in your divorce settlement if there is a large difference between the income you earn and the amount your spouse makes. You and your spouse may agree on whether alimony will be paid, how much one spouse will pay to the other, and for how long.
• Child Support: When you share custody of children, ongoing support payments will usually be established to ensure that the costs of child-rearing are shared by both parents. The amount that will be paid will be calculated using a formula that will evaluate the incomes earned by both parents. Additional child-related expenses may also be added to child support, including educational expenses, childcare expenses, and medical expenses.

Contact Our Cape Saint Claire, MD Divorce Attorneys

As you address issues related to your divorce, the attorneys at Silverman Thompson can help you negotiate fair agreements that will serve your needs. With our representation, you can get through your divorce successfully and move forward into your next chapter. Contact our Cape Saint Claire divorce lawyers at 410-385-2225 and schedule your consultation with a member of our team.