Annapolis Divorce Lawyer

As everyone knows, a divorce is the legal termination of a marriage. The divorce process is almost always emotionally devastating for both parties. It may involve losing a spouse who one still loves or leaving a spouse from whom one has grown apart. It may involve losing the ability to raise children in the way that was planned. Above all, it involves breaking emotional ties and plans that have developed over the years or decades. Regardless of the reason, it’s always painful when something to which you have devoted so much time and energy ends. Our best Annapolis family law attorneys around your location will help you get through this hard process.

A divorce legal case can also be financially excruciating. It may require that a person suddenly become self-supporting. It usually requires that parties divide accounts, houses, and other assets. After the divorce is finished, both spouses may feel poorer because they each have a fraction of what they previously had. And in some cases, one spouse may be required to have child support, child custody, or pay spousal support.

Maryland has two kinds of divorces. They are:

• Absolute divorce
• Limited divorce

A party that attempts to represent himself or herself, without an Annapolis divorce attorney, in a divorce case is taking a huge risk. That party will likely make a less persuasive case and receive a less favorable outcome than otherwise. After the process is completed, an unrepresented party will likely wonder if a better outcome could have been obtained with legal representation. He or she may later hire divorce lawyers and spend years and substantial legal assistance fees attempting to undo the damage that was done by failing to have an attorney from the beginning.

Having one of the best Md divorce lawyers from the start is extremely important. Only a Crawford law firm near your location has the necessary understanding of the family law and the court process. The best divorce attorney will guide you through the process, advocate for you at every opportunity, and make a forceful case for you at trial if necessary. When the process ends, you will likely have peace of mind and a much better result.

Patrick is not like other divorce lawyers. Patrick has a boutique law office in which he provides high-quality service to a small number of clients. His practice is small, and that is how he likes it. He is the only divorce attorney in his office. Having a small practice allows Patrick to provide a highly personalized service in which he gets to know each client and delivers representation that is tailored to achieve that client’s unique goals. He has spent the last 14 years handling divorce cases. He has represented his clients in all stages of their cases, including settlement, trial, and appeal. He is aggressive while also being careful to avoid wasteful efforts and strategies that usually serve only to increase the client’s legal fees. Patrick directs his efforts in a focused and intelligent way on things that are most important to the client and that are calculated to bring results. He invites his clients to participate meaningfully in setting the case direction, he is friendly, and he is responsive.

In any divorce case, multiple opportunities exist for either party to request that the court order the other party to pay some or all of that party’s divorce attorney fees. Often a party has an immediate need for divorce lawyer fees and cannot wait until the end of a long case in order to receive it. In this case, the party may request pendente lite divorce attorney fees. Or the party may choose to make the request at the end of the case. In either situation, the court will decide whether it is fair to grant such a request based on multiple factors. The main factors include:

• Whether the requesting party had a good-faith basis for pursuing his or her case.
• Whether the requesting party needs assistance paying for his or her divorce attorney.
• Whether the other party has the ability to pay.

 In order to obtain a divorce in Maryland, you will need to open your case by filing either a Complaint for Absolute Divorce or a Complaint for Limited Divorce (depending upon your intention) with the circuit court in the county where either you or your spouse lives. From here, your spouse will need to be served with the divorce papers (a copy of everything you filed with the court), and you’ll need to provide the court with proof of this service. If, however, you’ve been served with divorce papers by your spouse, you’ll need to respond with an Answer – and you may need to counter his or her filing with a Counter-Complaint. 

After service, the spouse who was served must respond according to the following time constraints:

• If the responding spouse lives in the State of Maryland, he or she has 30 days to respond.
• If the responding spouse lives in another state, he or she has 60 days to respond.
• If the responding spouse lives outside the United States, he or she has 90 days to respond.

Other filings that may be necessary in the course of your divorce include:

• A Civil Domestic Information Report
• Financial forms, which may include a Joint Statement of the Parties Concerning Community and Nonmarital Property
• A settlement agreement (if your absolute divorce is based on mutual consent)

It is impossible to say with any degree of certainty how much your divorce will cost from the outset. There are, however, certain factors that are indicative of more streamlined divorces and some factors that are indicative of more drawn-out and costly divorces.

If you and your divorcing spouse both agree that you need a divorce and are generally on the same page regarding the terms of your divorce, you can expect your divorce to proceed more swiftly and to incur much lower legal expenses along the way.

Fault-based divorces are generally the costliest, the lengthiest, and the most contentious divorces. To begin, proving your spouse’s fault in the matter can be exceptionally challenging, and you can rely upon him or her to fight this allegation. Fault-based divorces tend to be heated from the start and generally become more so with time.

If you are proceeding with a divorce that is based on mutual consent but you and your divorcing spouse have one or more terms that need to be resolved, negotiating a mutually acceptable determination can require considerable legal guidance and the possibility of mediation. In such cases, the cost of divorce generally depends upon each spouse’s commitment to negotiating in good faith and each spouse’s ability to keep the divorce moving forward.

The divorce terms that every divorcing couple must resolve (as applicable) include:

• Both physical custody (how you and your children’s other parent will divide your time with your shared children) and legal custody (who will be making the big-picture parenting decisions on behalf of your shared children)
• Child support
• The division of community property
• Alimony

Custody and the division of community property are the terms that are most likely to become sticking points in the divorce process. Further, factors such as high assets, business ownership, and generally complicated financials often make the division of community property that much more challenging. 

It is important to note that divorce is unpredictable. The fact is that tensions tend to run high, and the attendant emotions can prove overwhelming. This means that even some of the most placid divorces can – with the passage of time – morph into far more contentious cases. This element of unpredictability makes estimating how much your divorce is likely to cost a real challenge. Several steps you can take to help curb the degree of unpredictability in your divorce include:

• Keep the lines of communication between yourself and your divorcing spouse open and communicate with him or her as openly as you can
• Avoid your spouse’s trigger points to the degree possible
• Choose a means of communication that works for both of you. If face-to-face communication or phone calls are too challenging, stick to electronic communication
• Know when to say enough is enough (and allow your respective divorce lawyers to communicate on behalf of each of you as a result)
• Know your divorce priorities and focus on them (simply going after whatever you can get isn’t an effective strategy)

Keeping your divorce on a steady path forward is an excellent goal, but you should not allow your parental or financial rights to be jeopardized in the process. Your dedicated divorce lawyer will help you keep the peace to the extent that it is possible to do so while also helping you to make the right decisions for you and your children along the way. 

The amount of time it will take for your divorce to be finalized is generally commensurate with the degree of difficulty involved. In other words, if you and your divorcing spouse are at complete odds on every term that requires your attention, you can expect your divorce to take considerably longer than if you were in complete agreement on every term. There is, however, a required one-year separation period for divorces based on mutual consent. If you’re able to find a middle ground regarding the applicable terms of divorce over the course of this year, you can expect your divorce to be resolved relatively quickly thereafter.

Divorce cases are complicated

Divorce cases are complicated. An infinite number of things exist to consider in even a moderately complicated divorce case. Making a persuasive case in most divorce matters requires an enormous amount of work and organization. Experienced Annapolis Divorce Lawyers are usually necessary in order to make such a case.

Contact Our Best Lawyer Patrick Crawford today

Our divorce attorney Patrick Crawford is ready and eager to provide you with aggressive and personalized representation, no matter how complex your divorce case is. He will discuss your goals with you with the best attorney-client relationship and work tirelessly to secure a bright post-divorce future for you and your family. Annapolis divorce attorney near you, Contact him today.

Read more articles from attorney Crawford about Divorce:

• How To File for Divorce in Maryland
• How Long Does Divorce Take in Maryland
• What Should I Do Immediately After Divorce
• Legal Separation VS. Divorce
• Divorce Rate in America 2023