Dealing with Multiple Family Law Cases at Once

One family law case can be stressful and time-consuming enough, but if you have multiple family law cases pending at the same time, it could be expensive and involve overlapping issues. Understanding how to deal with multiple family law cases can help you limit the cost of asserting your rights, while also making sure you and your children get the best possible outcome in each one.

Why Would You Have Multiple Family Law Cases at Once?

There are many reasons why you could end up facing multiple family law cases at the same time. Remember that family law is an umbrella term. The family court in Maryland hears cases related to:

• Divorce
• Child custody and visitation
• Child support
• Personal protection actions
• Adoptions

When you file for an absolute judgment of divorce, that complaint can include issues related to child custody, visitation, and child support (as well as spousal support). But if you were never married, or if you or your spouse filed a family law complaint during your period of separation, you could easily end up facing multiple family law cases. For example, there could be a child support action filed based on you or your spouse receiving state financial assistance.

In cases involving domestic violence, you might also have filed or been served with a Peace and Protective Order, shielding the survivor (and his or her children) from further violence by the abuser. This order can also direct custody, visitation, and support as well as award exclusive use of property or firearms. In the most severe cases, there may also be criminal cases pending outside the Maryland family court system that involve facts that are also relevant to a divorce or custody case.

Coordinating Multiple Cases in Maryland Family Court

Since 2016, the Maryland Family Court has had a “one family, one judge” rule. This means that all family law cases relating to the same parties or child will be assigned to the same judge. But sometimes, when a parent has children with multiple partners, or when a family moves and different courts have jurisdiction, you can end up with more than one judge hearing your case. This can create problems because judges may enter orders that conflict with one another (such as requiring a parent to be in two places at once for parenting time exchanges). It can also require you to put forward the same evidence in two courts, increasing the cost and burden of hiring an attorney to represent you in court.

If you have multiple family law cases – or think you could be facing criminal charges – you should lay everything out with your family law attorney at the initial consultation. Your lawyer has ways of coordinating, and in some cases, consolidating multiple family law cases, to reduce your costs and make sure the right issues are resolved in the proper order, given all appropriate evidence.

This is especially important if you are facing criminal charges for behavior that might be raised in your family court case (like drug charges or domestic violence). You have the right not to incriminate yourself in criminal court under the Fifth Amendment of the federal constitution (“pleading the fifth”). But if you do, your refusal to answer questions can sometimes be used against you in family court. Your family law attorney and your criminal defense lawyer should coordinate your cases to allow the criminal case to conclude before you must present evidence or testify in Maryland family court.

How to Handle Multiple Family Law Cases in Your Home

Sometimes your household will have multiple family law cases, even if you personally do not. More Maryland households are made up of blended families with step-parents and half-siblings living together. When each parent has a custody order and parenting time schedule, coordinating everyone’s schedule can get confusing.

Depending on your family dynamic, it may be beneficial to work with your family law attorney to modify one or both custody arrangements to allow half- and step-siblings to spend more time together. In other families, one-on-one time with a parent is more valuable, and a staggered weekend schedule is best. In either case, your family law attorney can help you negotiate adjustments that make it easier for everyone to handle the multiple family law cases in your household.

At the Law Office of Shelly M. Ingram, our family law attorneys know how hard it can be to manage multiple family law cases at once. We know how to prioritize the Maryland Family Courts demands, and coordinate different court schedules. We also have experience working together with criminal attorneys and other lawyers representing our clients in related cases. We will help you resolve all your family law issues in a way that protects your rights and serves your family’s needs. Call us at (301) 658-7354 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with an attorney.