New Maryland Divorce Laws - October 2015

New Maryland Divorce Laws - October 2015. There are several new laws going into effect this month that may impact your Maryland divorce.

The wait is finally over! Governor Hogan signed Senate Bill 472 into law, which added Mutual Consent to the list of grounds for divorce. The new law permits the court to grant an absolute uncontested divorce without a 12-month separation if: (1) the parties do not have any minor children in common; (2) the parties submit to the court a written settlement, signed by both parties, that resolves all issues related to alimony and distribution of property; (3) neither party files a pleading to set aside the settlement agreement before the divorce hearing; and (4) both parties appear before the court at the divorce hearing.

The Governor signed other new family law bills into law as well. For example, under House Bill 1185, a party may now file for divorce after one of the parties has resided in Maryland for at least six (6) months if the grounds for divorce (adultery, separation, desertion, cruelty of treatment, excessively vicious conduct, conviction of a crime, and insanity) occurred outside of Maryland. The old law required one of the parties to have resided in Maryland for one (1) year before filing in such circumstances.

At The Law Office of Shelly M. Ingram, we keep up to date with new Maryland divorce laws as they are enacted. We also pride ourselves on our ability to offer a wide variety of options for couples that are contemplating divorce. Besides litigation, The Law Office of Shelly M. Ingram is proud to offer services such as collaborative divorce and mediation.

We would be happy to speak with you about your case in a confidential office consultation. During your consultation, we will discuss the specific needs of your family, as well as our qualifications to meet them, so that together we can develop a strategy that will work for you. For more information about our services, please call (301) 658-7354 or email info@shellyingramlaw.com.