Practice Areas

Family Law Services

Our legal team is deep in local court rules and judicial tendencies, allowing us to prepare your case correctly from day one. We look at your specific family dynamics and goals before building a legal plan, pursuing resolutions that respect your long-term financial health.

Here are the established domestic matters we manage for our clients:

Alimony

When you are considering a divorce, a lot can depend on whether you will have the financial means to support yourself while separated and after the divorce is final. Alimony can help, but it is not awarded in every case. Whether you are seeking support or contesting an alimony claim, we can help you understand what Maryland courts consider and what outcome may be realistic for your situation.

Child Support

Under Maryland law, both parents must financially support their child regardless of marital status. While child support helps make sure that the noncustodial parent contributes to their child's well-being, disputes over the amount, duration, or enforcement of support are common. We represent parents on both sides of child support matters and work to reach outcomes that reflect your child's actual needs and your financial circumstances.

Collaborative Law

Divorce is not only a legal process, but also an emotional and financial transition. Collaborative divorce offers an alternative to courtroom litigation, allowing you and your spouse to work through disagreements with the help of your attorneys outside of court. This approach can reduce conflict, preserve important relationships, and give both parties more control over the outcome.

LGBTQ+ Family Law

At Law Office of Shelly Maynard Ingram, we serve clients of all family configurations. LGBTQ+ individuals and couples face the same family law challenges as anyone else, including divorce, custody, support, and more, and in some cases they face additional legal complexities that require careful attention. We provide knowledgeable, respectful representation to LGBTQ+ clients throughout Maryland.

Custody

For parents going through a divorce or who have never been married, child custody is a primary concern. Maryland courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child, weighing factors such as each parent's relationship with the child, living arrangements, and ability to meet the child's needs. We work to protect your parental rights and advocate for arrangements that serve your child's long-term well-being.

Parental Relocation

When a parent wants to move away from the area with a child after a separation or divorce, it can create significant legal challenges. Whether you are the parent seeking to relocate or the parent trying to prevent a move that would affect your parenting time, Maryland courts carefully weigh the impact on the child and the existing custody arrangement. We help you build a strong case on either side of a relocation dispute.

Divorce

If you are considering divorce, it is important to know what to expect and to have the right representation throughout the legal process. Maryland divorce law covers asset division, custody, support, and more, and outcomes depend heavily on preparation and knowledge of local courts. Whether your case is straightforward or highly contested, we apply the same level of focus and legal rigor to every matter we handle.

Post-Divorce Modifications

When a divorce is finalized, the court's orders reflect your family's circumstances at that time. But life changes, and Maryland law recognizes that certain terms of a divorce decree may need to change too. If there has been a material change in circumstances affecting custody, support, or other terms of your order, we can help you pursue a modification that reflects your current reality.

High-Asset Divorce

When a marriage involves significant assets, divorce becomes considerably more complex. The identification, valuation, and division of marital property requires careful analysis, and without proper preparation, important assets can be overlooked or undervalued. We bring focused legal knowledge to high-asset divorce cases, working to protect what you have built throughout the marriage.

Domestic Violence and Protective Orders

If you or your children are in danger, getting the right legal protection is the most important step you can take. Maryland law provides tools to help victims of domestic violence seek safety, and the courts take these matters seriously. We move quickly to help clients obtain protective orders and navigate the legal steps that follow.

Marital Property

Separating from your spouse means dividing the family's assets and property, from personal belongings to retirement accounts and real estate. Understanding how Maryland approaches marital property division can help you protect what you have worked for. We help clients identify, value, and advocate for a fair division of marital assets throughout the divorce process.

Mediation

You and your spouse or co-parent know the needs of your family better than any judge. Mediation gives you the opportunity to work through disagreements about custody, property, and support with the help of a neutral third party, rather than leaving those decisions to a court. We offer professional mediation services and also represent clients in mediation proceedings handled by outside mediators.

Mutual Consent Divorce

If you and your spouse have agreed that the marriage is over and neither is specifically at fault, Maryland's mutual consent divorce process may allow you to dissolve the marriage without a lengthy separation period. This option requires a written settlement agreement covering all issues, but it can be a faster and less adversarial path to finalizing your divorce.

Prenuptial Agreement

Prenuptial agreements are not only for the wealthy. These contracts can protect assets you bring into a marriage, clarify financial expectations, and help prevent costly disputes if the marriage ends. A valid Maryland prenuptial agreement must meet specific legal requirements, and we draft and review these agreements carefully to make sure they will hold up if they are ever challenged.

Separation Agreement

Maryland does not recognize legal separation as a marital status. However, couples who have decided to live apart in anticipation of divorce can benefit from a written separation agreement that addresses property, support, and custody in the interim. A well-drafted agreement can also form the foundation of your eventual divorce settlement.

Visitation Rights

When parents live apart, a clear and workable visitation schedule is important for your child's stability and your co-parenting relationship. Whether you are establishing visitation for the first time, seeking to modify an existing schedule, or enforcing an order that is not being followed, we represent both custodial and non-custodial parents in visitation matters throughout Maryland.

Parental Rights

Your rights as a parent are among the most significant legal rights you hold. Parental rights disputes can arise in divorce, paternity cases, adoption proceedings, and other family law matters. We represent parents in establishing, protecting, and defending parental rights across Maryland, and we bring the same focused preparation to these cases that we apply across all of our family law work.