Absolute Divorce

An absolute divorce ends the legal relationship of marriage between two people.  That means that both the rights (for example, certain types of joint ownership of property and laws about the right of a spouse to receive an inheritance) and the obligations (for example, any obligation for the support or debts of a spouse or that come out of the marital relationship) are completely ended.

In Maryland, when an absolute divorce is granted by the court, the following issues should be resolved, either by agreement or by a decision of the court:

 

• Spousal support (or alimony);
• Marital property – who owns what, whether the property is marital, non-marital or partly both, and how the property should be divided and who gets what amount of the property;
• Child custody and timesharing (or visitation);
• Child support;
• The legal reason (grounds) for divorce; and
• Sometimes, if a party asks for it when he or she has taken the name of the other spouse, a change in name back to his or her former legal name.

Without experienced Maryland divorce lawyers to guide you, the court may decide some or all of these issues in a way that you might not have expected.  Contact us today to arrange an appointment to help you with your absolute divorce.