Arnold Divorce Lawyers

Top Rated Divorce Attorney Protecting Parental Rights in Arnold, MD

When you choose to get a divorce, you will need to make a series of legal decisions that will not only allow you to separate from your spouse but will also affect your life for years to come. You will need to consider issues such as where your children will live, how much time they will spend with each parent, whether you or your spouse may continue living in your family home, whether spousal support will be paid, and how the assets you have built up over years of marriage will be divided. Discussing these matters can be deeply personal, and the outcome of your case can have long-lasting consequences.

As you navigate the divorce process, having an experienced attorney on your side can make a difference in how your case will be resolved. The team at Silverman Thompson can provide strong, effective representation during every stage of the divorce process. We will help you fully assess your financial situation and make decisions that will provide for your interests. We will make sure you are fully prepared to discuss and resolve the issues in your case, and we will advocate for an outcome that will meet your needs.

Child Custody

When you have minor children, some of the most significant issues to address in your divorce will be related to child custody and visitation. As courts address these issues, they will take steps to ensure that the decisions made will protect your children's best interests. Our lawyers can help ensure that the full picture of your family's circumstances will be considered, and we will help you put arrangements in place that will help ensure that you can provide for your children's needs.

Sole Custody vs. Joint Custody

One of the first questions that may need to be addressed during your divorce is whether custody of your children will be shared between you and your spouse or held by one parent alone. In many cases, children will benefit when both parents are closely involved in their lives. For this reason, joint custody arrangements are often preferred by courts. You may be able to reach an agreement in which you and your co-parent will share the responsibility to make important decisions about how your children will be raised, while also making sure your children will spend regular time living in both parents' homes.

Sole custody may be an option in certain situations. A court may award sole custody to one parent if a couple has encountered a high level of conflict that is likely to make joint decision-making difficult or impossible. Even if one parent is awarded sole legal custody, the other parent will usually have the right to see and spend time with the children on a regular basis.

The right custody arrangements will depend on your family's specific situation. Factors to consider may include how well you and the other parents can communicate and cooperate, how close your homes are to each other, your children's ages and their individual needs, your work schedules, and how involved each parent has been in parenting during your marriage. Our attorneys will help you advocate for custody arrangements that will provide for your children's best interests in the years to come.

Decision-Making Authority

Legal custody involves the authority to make significant decisions about a child's life. Under a joint legal custody arrangement, both parents will usually be able to share decision-making authority as they address major matters affecting their children. These may include:

• Education Decisions: Which schools children will attend, what accommodations or services they may receive, and how educational challenges may be addressed
• Healthcare Decisions: The choice of children's doctors and specialists, the types of elective medical procedures or medications children may receive, and mental health treatment
• Religious Upbringing: Whether and where children will go to church or participate in other religious activities or education
• Extracurricular Activities: Whether children may participate in sports, music or dance classes, clubs or scouting, or other types of activities

A custody agreement may not only detail how major decisions will be handled, but it may also address what will happen if the parents cannot agree on a significant decision. Parents may agree to follow a specific dispute resolution process, or one parent may be given a tiebreaking vote in specific categories. Without these provisions, disagreements about major decisions may become difficult to resolve, leading to conflict rather than cooperation.

Parenting Time and Visitation

Physical custody will address the division of a child's time between the parents' homes. A visitation/parenting time schedule will be created that ensures that all parties understand when children will stay with each parent, how pickups and drop-offs will be handled, and other important details.

In addition to a regular weekly schedule, a parenting plan should also address children's schedules on holidays and school breaks. It can specify how holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and Independence Day will be divided between parents. It can also address any other times when children may not be in school, including winter break, spring break, and summer vacation.

Child Support

Ongoing financial support payments will typically be put in place to ensure that the costs of raising children will be shared between parents. Child support will usually be determined using calculations that take both parents' incomes into account. Other expenses may also be addressed, including health insurance coverage for children, work-related childcare expenses, medical expenses, and educational expenses.

Contact Our Arnold, MD Divorce Attorneys

During the divorce process, the team at Silverman Thompson can help ensure that you will be able to address legal issues that may affect you and your children. We can also provide guidance on financial matters, including the division of marital property or spousal support. Our attorneys will take the time to understand your circumstances fully, advise you honestly on the available options, and help you achieve an outcome that will protect your interests and make sure you are prepared for the future. Contact our Arnold divorce lawyers at 410-385-2225 and set up a consultation today.