We have all heard and witnessed the advantages and disadvantages of a divorce through our own personal experiences and what the media portrays. While divorce is the most used family law option for couples that are considering the dissolution of their marriage, legal separation may also be used as a tool for couples that are separating or are already separated. In Maryland, where couples must wait one year before they are able to divorce; legal separation, often used by celebrities and public figures, may be an advantageous option for divorcing couples.
Wrestler's wife files for legal separation
In Annapolis and other Maryland cities, filing for legal separation is the first step in the divorce process. To obtain a divorce, Maryland couples must wait one full year. Legal separation offers a convenient way for divorcing spouses to handle family law issues. Recently, a well-known wrestler's wife filed for legal separation.
Actor Dennis Quaid's wife files for legal separation
Couples contemplating divorce understandably have many questions about the different issues involved in a divorce. Some couples may not know that in Maryland family law, legal separation -- the ability to legally handle these issues without permanently having their marriage dissolved -- is an option.
Legal separation: beneficial for divorcing Maryland couples?
Couples in Maryland anticipating the need for divorce may consider a legal separation in lieu of a divorce. In Maryland, couples must wait one year in most cases before obtaining a divorce. A legal separation allows couples to handle difficult family law issues such as property division, child support and child custody, without being legally divorced.
Balancing Maryland's 1-year separation and dating
There are many considerations for couples when contemplating divorce. A consideration for couples in Maryland is the one-year waiting period before spouses are allowed to file for divorce. The one-year waiting period can impact a couple's divorce and the decisions they make during their year of separation.
Divorce, legal separation: what's best in Maryland?
When most of us think of divorce, we probably imagine young or middle aged couples going their separate ways. For some reason, the thought of a couple that has been married for 25-plus years getting a divorce or legal separation is unnerving. And yet, statistics show that the security that long-term marriages seems to be shifting. The divorce rate for those over the age of 50 has doubled in the past 20 years. This phenomenon is known as "the gray divorce."
