Ellicott City, MD Family Law Lawyers

Skilled Lawyers for Divorce, Child Custody, and More in Ellicott City, Maryland

Being involved in a family law case can be a challenging experience. Divorce or child custody proceedings can deeply affect your personal life in a way no other type of legal case can. Divorce is about more than deciding who is responsible for which debts and creating a child custody schedule. It is about getting a fresh start as a single adult.

At Law Offices of Marc A. Ominsky, LLC, our goal is to make sure you will be in the best possible position to establish your own household and make the transition to co-parenting. Life after divorce can be wonderful in comparison to being in an unhappy marriage, and there is growing evidence that children do better with happy divorced parents than unhappily married parents who are in constant conflict. Although there is likely to be some turmoil during a divorce or parental breakup, the vast majority of people find that it is well worth it in the end.

Our experienced Ellicott City, MD family law attorneys work to resolve most divorce and child custody cases out of court, through mediation or negotiation. We are skilled in handling complex financial situations such as debt, foreclosure, and bankruptcy during divorce. During our more than 50 years of combined legal experience, we have guided numerous families through legal proceedings. Our hands-on attorneys are here to help you in real time. We understand that going through family law proceedings is not easy and we will be there to support you throughout your case.

Divorce and Marital Property Division

The first step in dividing your marital assets and debts involves determining what is marital property and what is your separate property. Generally, anything you acquired during the marriage will be treated as marital property. The same is generally true for most debts that either of you took on during the marriage. This can be a point of contention if one spouse is largely responsible for the debt due to credit card spending, or if only one spouse has medical debt or student loan debt.

In Maryland, marital property is distributed equitably between divorcing spouses. This means that your property should be divided based on what is fair to each spouse. As you negotiate a divorce settlement, you and your spouse can consider any factors you find relevant when you are splitting your assets and debts. If your case will be resolved through litigation, the court will consider factors like each spouse's contributions to the marriage, each party's economic circumstances, and how long the marriage lasted.

Creating a Parenting Plan

If you and your child's other parent will no longer be living together, you will need to create a parenting plan. This legal document will provide a child custody schedule, and it will address how you will make important decisions about your child's upbringing. Some of the factors that may be considered when making decisions about child custody and the terms of a parenting plan include:

• The best ways to provide stability for the children
• Your children's physical, emotional, and developmental needs
• If your children are older and more mature, their preferences
• Where each parent will be living and how the distance between your homes might impact your ability to coordinate custody exchanges and share parenting duties
• Your children's relationships with their siblings, extended family members, and other important figures in their lives
• How each parent plans to meet the children's day-to-day needs

Other Family Law Issues

Family law encompasses a lot more than divorce. Our attorneys can also help with family law issues such as:

• Paternity: If you were unmarried when your child was born, you may need to take steps to establish a legal relationship between father and child. This is an important way of protecting the child, ensuring that they will be able to receive financial support while maintaining parental relationships.
• Child Support: Every child has the right to be financially supported by both parents. Child support payments established during a divorce or child custody case will ensure that both parents are contributing to a child's ongoing needs.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: These agreements can protect you in the event that you get divorced later. By putting an agreement in place either before or after you get married, you can help protect your financial interests while minimizing conflict in a potential divorce.

Contact Our Ellicott City, Maryland Divorce and Child Custody Lawyers

Law Offices of Marc A. Ominsky, LLC will advocate for you and your children throughout family law proceedings. Our experienced Ellicott City, MD family law attorneys are skilled in resolving divorce-related issues and creating parenting plans through out-of-court agreements. Contact us at 443-539-8712 for a confidential consultation.