443-539-8712
Recent Blog Posts
How to be Successful in Co-Parenting | MD Legal Firm
Having a child may have been the greatest day of your life and your spouse’s life. You undoubtedly imagined all the wonderful adventures you would have as a family and how the two of you would watch your child grow and work as a team to nurture that growth. Of course, now that you are going through a divorce, you may have concerns about those visions remaining a reality.
Before you begin thinking that child custody arrangements will leave you with an unequal amount of responsibility when it comes to raising your child, you may want to remember that you and the other parent can have a substantial amount of input in custody terms. In fact, you can choose to continue to work together as co-parents and have equitable time with your child.
Can you work together?
Depending on the circumstances that led to your divorce, you may or may not feel that you can continue working closely with your soon-to-be ex. If the feelings between you remain amicable, you may feel that working together for the sake of your child would not present any issues. If so, co-parenting may be a useful custody path to consider.
Bankruptcy can be a tool to a new beginning
Debt can be a useful tool but it can also become an overwhelming burden. If the burden becomes too great one option for getting out from under that burden in Maryland is to declare bankruptcy. Declaring it provides a way to eliminate or drastically reduce existing debt, but the bankruptcy declaration remains on one’s credit report for many years and can impact a person’s ability to take on new debt. There are ways to bounce back from bankruptcy.
Two basic steps to take are to create and stick to a budget and pay with cash. Creating a budget can give one a good picture of one’s finances. Paying with cash prevents additional debt from building up. These are measures that will help one’s cash flow and there are also measures that can be taken to start rebuilding credit.
One of the most important steps to take is to pay bills on time. Late payments can be a red flag for the credit bureaus. Set up auto-pay where possible to eliminate the chance of a late payment. A secured credit card can also help a person rebuild a credit score. A secured credit card is somewhat like a gift card in that it is secured by money deposited onto the card itself.
You don’t have to put up with harassment from creditors
Like other Maryland residents before you, your financial situation appears to be in a downward spiral. No matter how much you cut corners, your efforts to address your overwhelming debt on your own does not yield results. Making the situation worse are the constant phone calls and other contact, demanding payment, and you suspect that the behavior crosses the line into harassment from creditors.
Your suspicions could be correct. A lot of people here in Maryland and elsewhere do not know where the line is for creditors when it comes to making contact with consumers, and some debt collectors will take advantage of that fact. Those attempting to collect a debt must do while following certain rules. For instance, they can only contact you within certain hours of the day and should not release information about your debt to other people.
They may contact you at work, but you can ask them to stop. If they continue to do so anyway, it could constitute harassment. Debt collectors cannot lie to you about who they are or the measures they can take to collect the debt. Some will makes threats such as telling you that you could be arrested for not paying what they say you owe.
DUI roadside tests are not legally required in Maryland
When a police officer makes a traffic stop, he or she may claim that the driver was clocked traveling above a posted speed limit or that the vehicle has a brake light that does not appear to be functioning properly. In many cases, however, the reason for a Maryland traffic stop is because DUI is suspected. It is common for a police officer to ask a driver under suspicion to exit his or her vehicle.
Once the driver is standing outside his or her car, the police officer may request that he or she perform a field sobriety test. Failing such a test may lead to a drunk driving arrest because a failed test constitutes probable cause, which an officer needs to take someone into custody. This is why field tests tend to make people quite nervous.
There are typically three types of field sobriety tests that police use to determine if there is probable cause to make an arrest. These tests include a one-leg stance, horizontal gaze nystagmus test and a walk-and-turn test. An officer might issue a failing grade if the subject puts his or her foot down too soon in a one-leg stance or if his or her eyes move erratically before reaching maximum field of vision when tracking an object horizontally or vertically.
Motor vehicle accidents remain a threat on congested highways
It is no secret that traffic on Maryland highways continues to increase. The increase in traffic can cause delays, which can cause drivers to become frustrated and impatient. This in turn can lead to motor vehicle accidents. One such accident resulted in the death of an older gentleman from Westminster.
The accident happened late one Wednesday afternoon at the beginning of rush hour. The man from Westminster was traveling north on I-795 when his vehicle was sideswiped by another car. The vehicle he was driving veered off the roadway and struck a tree.
Witnesses said that the car that appeared to have caused the accident sideswiped the vehicle that crashed and continued heading north, resulting in a hit-and-run. The man in the car that was struck was transported to Northwest Hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries. It is not known if road rage contributed to the cause of the accident. The accident remains under investigation.
Bankruptcy can come to a farmer’s aid
Agriculture is a vital industry in Maryland and across the United States. It is an industry that is greatly reliant on weather and good or bad weather can make or break a farmer’s year. Debt is a reality in most people’s lives and as long as it is managed does not necessarily lead to a financial crisis. When an event occurs that is beyond one’s control, a managed situation can quickly spiral into a crisis. Bankruptcy can provide tools to help one survive the crisis.
The weather across the nation has been atypical for some time now. Farmers are feeling the pinch as it is impacting planting schedules. In another state, the number of bankruptcies involving farmers has increased significantly. The problem has escalated in the last year and is causing stress and mental health issues among the farm community.
Declaring bankruptcy can provide one with a way to negotiate with creditors and allow for management of a debt that will forestall foreclosure proceedings. One option available is mediation. Mediation allows for a person to sit down with one’s creditors in an attempt to come to an agreement for dealing with the debt situation. Mediation can also provide for a grace period during which lenders may not be able to take punitive action.
Chapter 7 bankruptcies sometimes caused by student loan debt
The issue of student loan debt is one that has been a frequent topic of conversation in the media in recent weeks and months. The amount of outstanding student loan debt in 2019 is believed to be about $1.5 trillion. A large amount of that debt is held by millennials. In Maryland and elsewhere, many of them are struggling to find good paying jobs and are unable to repay their loans, causing them to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
An estimated 32% of people who filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 had student loan debt that was a significant cause of bankruptcy. Chapter 7 allows a person with low income to file for debt liquidation where Chapter 13 allows for debt reduction. Student loans are not normally discharged, or forgiven, in a bankruptcy proceeding. For those with student loans filing Chapter 7 that means that the funds freed up by the discharge of credit card debt would often go to pay student loans.
Motor vehicle accidents increase on holiday weekends
Holiday weekends come with stories of parades, fireworks and family get-togethers. They also come with news of traffic fatalities. Holiday traffic often leads to an increased number of motor vehicle accidents and deaths on Maryland highways. The recent holiday weekend proved no exception.
A wrong-way accident on the inner loop of the beltway resulted in the death of a young woman. She was driving north on the beltway when her vehicle was struck by a Ford F150 driving south on the northbound side of the divided highway. It is not known how the vehicle came to be driving in the wrong direction.
The collision was head-on, and the driver of the vehicle struck by the F150 — the young woman — was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was transported to a shock trauma unit of an area hospital. His condition is not known. It is also not known if alcohol had contributed to the cause of the accident.
Bankruptcy can provide a new beginning
Contrary to the view of some that bankruptcy is a sign of failure, it can actually provide a solution to a difficult problem. Bankruptcy can provide an opportunity for a new beginning in Maryland and a clean slate from which to rebuild a solid financial future. What leads a person to bankruptcy is frequently circumstances completely beyond one’s control. Divorce and medical bills can cause one to incur unanticipated debt.
A couple who are facing divorce may be able to facilitate an equitable settlement through filing for bankruptcy. A couple who has significant consumer debt, that may be difficult for the couple to manage as newly single people, can possibly alleviate the debt through a bankruptcy filing. Freeing themselves from the heavy debt load enables the two to start building a new and more secure financial future. Likewise, bankruptcy could provide relief from extensive medical bills accrued through an unforeseen illness.
Bankruptcy can provide relief from health care expenses
The quality of health care in the United States is considered by many to be among the best in the world. This is no less true in Maryland, home of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is considered by many to be among the best hospitals in the nation. The high quality of health care can also come at a high cost. People who have suffered unexpected medical emergencies often end up with high amounts of debt. Bankruptcy can offer people assistance with resolving the problems that mounting health care bills can cause.
In one case, a woman was having breathing issues and found out from her physician that she needed open heart surgery to replace a faulty valve in her heart. Complications that resulted from the surgery required her to remain in the hospital for more than a month. The resulting medical bills amounted to over $600,000, and though the woman was employed, she did not have medical insurance available through her job.
From our office in Ellicott City, the Law Offices of Marc A. Ominsky, LLC represents clients throughout the area, including but not limited to Annapolis, Arbutus, Baltimore, Beltsville, Catonsville, Clarksville, Columbia, Crofton, Elkridge, Fulton, Glen Burnie, Greenbelt, Jessup, Laurel, Linthicum Heights, Odenton, Pasadena, Pikesville, Randallstown, Savage, Towson, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Prince George's County.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
5052 Dorsey Hall Dr., STE 202, Ellicott City, MD 21042
443-539-8712
