Recent Blog Posts
What Happens If the Money Is Gone?
Divorces can be very difficult and complicated. Imagine getting your divorce and then spending time with a QDRO drafter, only to discover that the retirement funds aren’t there anymore! What if the account has been depleted, rolled over, or mismanaged before the QDRO is actually processed? Let’s unpack what’s happening here— and what options… Read More »
New Change to the Maryland Child Support Guidelines – the Multifamily Adjustment
If you have gone through a custody, child support or divorce case with children, you likely know that there are Child Support Guidelines in Maryland. The guidelines are mandatory in any case where the parents have combined gross monthly income of $30,000 or less. If the parents make a combined income of more than… Read More »
A Quick Take on Maryland’s New Custody Factors
During the 2025 Legislative Session in Maryland, new custody factors were discussed, agreed upon, and ultimately signed into law by Governor Moore. Currently, House Bill 1151/Senate Bill 548 provides for sixteen (16) “new” custody factors. Previously, the courts have relied upon two (2) seminal cases Montgomery County v. Sanders, 38 Md. 406 (1978) and… Read More »
AMA 1: Weinberg & Schwartz Partner Amos Whitney Answers Your Questions
** The responses in this blog post should not be considered legal advice — specific questions about real-life family law situations should be addressed with an attorney ** My Ex is getting re-married soon, what should I know with respect to our son? First, being a stepparent is a really difficult, and often thank-less,… Read More »
Protective Orders, Custody, and the Tortured Dichotomy of Abusive Partners but Good Parents
Protective Orders are important emergency tools for victims of domestic abuse. Their purpose is to quickly and safely remove victims from the abusive situation. The court has broad authority to mandate protections for the safety of the victim(s). These mandates include orders against the alleged abuser (“Respondent”) to “stay-away” from the victim, their residence,… Read More »
Can AI answer QDRO questions?
Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is great for generating images of cats having tea parties on the surface of mars, but the legal profession is somewhat skeptical of AI’s ability to answer legal questions. To test this in the area of QDROs, we asked a somewhat simple but technical question: is TSP ERISA qualified? TSP or… Read More »
JUST IN! De Facto Parents are Obligated to Financially Support Children
Over the last decade, Maryland Appellate Courts have been establishing and refining third-party standing in child custody cases, including what it means to be a de facto parent in Maryland and who qualifies. In Maryland, a de facto parent is an adult other than the child’s legal parents (whether they are biological or adopted)… Read More »
Top Ten Tips for Appearing in Court
While many family law cases settle before the need for a contested hearing/trial, sometimes a trial is necessary. Having experienced counsel is always important when getting ready for trial, but there are things you can do on your own to help ensure that you make the most out of your court experience. Below you… Read More »
Attitude is (Almost) Everything
The title may seem like a no brainer. You’re in front of a judge; some of the most important things in your world are at stake; why wouldn’t you use any advantage you can to get to where you need to be? But when I say appearance, I mean everything. When you walk into… Read More »
5 Tips For Better Co-Parenting Communication
Parenting is a challenge as it is, but co-parenting in two separate households can be its own beast. Everyone parents their children differently but trying to co-parent with someone who you may not always see eye-eye with can be very challenging. Most co-parents communicate via text or email since they do not see each… Read More »
