Lutherville Divorce Attorneys

Lawyers Helping Address Legal Issues in Divorce Cases in Lutherville, MD

When you have decided that your marriage has broken down beyond repair and that divorce is the best path forward, this can be a positive step toward a better future for you and your family. However, dealing with the various issues involved in your divorce may not be easy. You will need to make decisions about your finances, your property, and your children's lives, and the steps you take during the process will have a long-term impact on your life going forward. To make sure you are handling these issues correctly, you can work with an experienced divorce attorney.

At Silverman Thompson, we can provide the legal representation you need as you navigate divorce-related issues. We will provide you with honest guidance on the strategies that may be used to achieve your goals, and we will make sure you are fully prepared to handle the issues that may arise. With our committed advocacy, we can help you get through this process as easily as possible while ensuring that your rights will be protected at all times.

Approaches to Resolving a Divorce

In most cases, family court judges will encourage divorcing couples to resolve their differences by reaching agreements outside of court. Most divorces can be completed without the need for a trial as couples work together to negotiate a marital settlement agreement. The steps that may be taken to reach an agreement or resolve disputes that arise may include:

• Negotiations: The spouses and their attorney may work together to decide on the terms of their marital settlement agreement. When both parties are willing to negotiate in good faith, they may be able to reach agreements on the outstanding issues in their case. Legal representation can be essential during these negotiations, and our lawyers can ensure that our clients understand the options that are available while working to negotiate terms that will protect their interests.
• Mediation: A couple may choose to work with a neutral third-party facilitator during the negotiation of their divorce settlement. The mediator can help spouses work through disputed issues, identify areas where they agree, address disagreements, and find solutions. Our attorneys can provide legal counsel during the mediation process to help our clients reach agreements that will meet their needs while ensuring that their settlement meets all legal requirements.
• Litigation: When negotiations fail, and decisions need to be made about how to handle unresolved issues, a divorce case may proceed to trial. A divorce trial will be held before a Circuit Court judge, who will hear arguments, review evidence, and make decisions about how the outstanding issues will be resolved. Our attorneys can provide effective representation during divorce litigation, helping our clients achieve positive results.

The Importance of Discovery

During the discovery phase of a divorce, both parties will take steps to obtain the financial information and documentation needed to fully understand the financial issues involved in their case and other information that may be relevant. This can ensure that a person will be able to make well-informed decisions about the issues that need to be resolved. Discovery can be one of the most important parts of the divorce process, and our attorneys can help our clients take the right steps to obtain the information needed during their cases.

Discovery tools that we may use include interrogatories, which are questions sent to the other party about specific issues. We can also send requests to the other party to produce financial documents such as bank statements, tax returns, retirement account statements, and business records. We can conduct depositions to ensure that a spouse will provide testimony about issues that may be relevant in a divorce. We can also use subpoenas to obtain records directly from financial institutions, employers, or other parties.

Division of Assets and Debts

The equitable distribution of marital property is one of the key issues to address during a divorce. The property a couple owns will need to be divided. In some cases, disputes may arise about whether certain assets are marital property owned by both spouses or non-marital property that one spouse owned before getting married or received as a gift or inheritance. We can help clients understand what types of property will need to be divided.

The marital estate may include a couple's family home and other real estate property they own. They may have multiple types of bank accounts or other financial accounts, including retirement accounts or benefits. Other assets to address may include family businesses, investments, vehicles, and personal property. Marital debts, including a home mortgage, credit cards, or other loans, may also need to be allocated between the parties.

Our attorneys work to ensure that all marital assets will be identified and valued correctly, including assisting with any business valuations that may need to be performed. We work with our clients to negotiate property settlements that will provide them with financial resources as they move forward after completing the divorce process.

Child Custody and Parenting Arrangements

When a couple has minor children, custody of their children may be one of the most important issues to address during the divorce process. In general, custody will include two components:

• Legal Custody: When raising children, parents will make multiple types of important decisions, addressing issues related to healthcare, education, and more. After a divorce, parents will need to determine how these decisions will be made. In many cases, parents will be able to share joint legal custody, giving both parents the right to participate in decision-making and requiring them to consult with each other on important issues. In others, sole legal custody may give one parent the right to make decisions for children in one or more areas of responsibility.
• Physical Custody: Decisions will also need to be made about how much time children will spend with each parent. In some cases, children may live in one parent's home most of the time, and they may spend time with the other parent on certain days, evenings, or weekends. In others, children may divide their time equally between their parents' homes.

A comprehensive parenting plan will serve as a legally binding document that determines how decision-making will be handled and how parenting time will be scheduled. It may also address other issues that may affect the parents and children, such as holiday and vacation arrangements, communication between parents when discussing child-related issues, rules for discipline or other ongoing parenting matters, and how potential disputes may be resolved. Our lawyers help clients develop parenting plans that will ensure that they can provide for their children's ongoing needs.

Contact Our Lutherville, Maryland Divorce Lawyers

At Silverman Thompson, our lawyers can help you understand what issues may need to be addressed during your divorce, the best strategies for resolving disputes, and other details that may affect your case. We will advocate on your behalf and work to resolve issues related to property division, spousal support, child custody, child support, and more. Contact our Lutherville divorce attorneys at 410-385-2225 to set up a confidential consultation.