Divorcing In Maryland
Maryland divorce, like divorce throughout the country, has always been predicated on the misdeeds of one spouse—until recently, that is. Yes, even in a divorce that both people desired, there had to be a legal reason listed, one that disparaged one of the partners. Various states accepted issues such as mental or physical cruelty, amoral activities like infidelity, drinking or drug addiction, desertion, or criminal charges as grounds for divorce. Happily, all of that mudslinging and blame can be left in the past, because Maryland revised its rules in the past couple of years. If your marriage ending is the result of simply growing apart, for example, Maryland law is on board with the split. Nowadays, couples may opt for divorce without coming up with anything more than the wish to move on without one another. There needn’t be any allegations of misdeeds by the other person, and, once approved, there’s no waiting period. The three grounds for divorce in Maryland are:
- You have not lived as a married couple for six months or more. Even if you’ve lived in the same house, if you’ve separated your lives and are simply sharing the house payment, it could be grounds for divorce.
- If you both agree that you want the divorce and you can come up with satisfactory terms related to the kids, property, and support, the court can simply sign off on it.
- If one spouse claims irreconcilable differences and lays out the reasons that the marriage will not work going forward, the court can rubber stamp it and you’re done.
What if Your Spouse Disagrees?
What if your spouse has promised to do anything your heart desires if you’ll just reconsider? They’ve promised to go to counseling, or to change all of their annoying behaviors. They’ve pleaded, they’ve begged, they’ve agonized about what effect a split will have on the kids—the list goes on and on. But it doesn’t change how you feel: you want out. While it may be a little more complicated if your spouse resists your efforts, you absolutely can still get the divorce. It’s just going to be a little more time and paperwork, but it can be done.
Complaint for Absolute Divorce
If your spouse is bound and determined to fight this, evade this, or sabotage this, you may have to file a Complaint for Absolute Divorce. After your spouse is served this document. In fact, even if your spouse dodges the process server, there are ways to move this thing forward.
Let Us Help
The experienced Baltimore family law attorneys at The Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes have encountered situations of all kinds over the years, and we are prepared to address the issues in your divorce head-on. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Baltimore office today.
Source:
mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/court-forms/family/forms/ccdr020.pdf/ccdr020.pdf
