Law Office of Dawn M. GreenFamily Law Attorneys in Annapolis, MD | Law Office of Dawn M. Green2026-10-26T20:07:01Zhttps://www.dawngreenlaw.com/feed/atom/WordPressOn Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Can you restrict who your ex brings around your children?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=508072026-10-26T20:07:01Z2026-10-26T20:07:01ZCan a Maryland court limit who your ex brings around your children?
In Boswell v. Boswell, 352 Md. 204 (1998), Maryland's highest court addressed restrictions on visitation involving a parent's unmarried partner. The decision ties such restrictions to the child's best interests and evidence of actual or potential harm connected to the partner's presence. A parent's personal disapproval of a new relationship alone is not enough.
A court may consider restrictions when someone's conduct raises a credible concern about the child's safety or emotional well-being. For example, a relevant history of violence, substance abuse or other dangerous behavior may matter if it creates a risk to the child. These circumstances do not automatically justify restrictions; the court considers the evidence and the child's best interests.
Can you modify a custody order to limit contact with your ex's new partner?
If you already have a custody order, you generally cannot change its terms on your own. Under Maryland Family Law § 9-202, a court may modify an order when circumstances have materially changed in a way that affects the child's situation or a parent's ability to provide appropriate care, and the proposed change serves the child's best interests.
Your concerns should focus on specific conduct and its effect on your child, rather than disagreements with your ex's personal choices. The court evaluates the circumstances of each case; a new partner's presence does not automatically justify a custody change.
How can you document your concerns?
If you believe someone poses a risk to your child, keep a factual record of relevant incidents. Useful information may include:
Dates and descriptions of specific incidents
Text messages or other written communications
Observable effects on your child's behavior or well-being
Focus on information you can verify rather than rumors or assumptions about another person's background. Evidence is most useful when it relates directly to your child's safety or welfare.
If you are concerned about a person's contact with your child, a family law attorney can help assess the circumstances and explain whether seeking a custody restriction or modification may be appropriate.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Marital vs. separate property: Asset division in Maryland divorce]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=507882026-10-13T10:22:42Z2026-10-13T10:22:42ZDefining marital property in Maryland
Generally, the courts treat all property acquired by one or both parties during the marriage as marital property. This can include the following:
The family home
Bank accounts and investment portfolios
Retirement assets, 401(k)s and pensions
In Maryland, it does not matter whose name is on the deed or title of the property. What matters is when one or both spouses got the asset, regardless of who owns it on paper.
What counts as separate property?
Assets that remain the sole property of one spouse and are typically not subject to division. Separate property usually falls into the following four main categories:
Acquired before the marriage
Received via inheritance
Gifted by a third party
Excluded by a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement
Normally, courts exclude these assets during property division. However, there are instances where separate property can become marital property due to commingling.
How courts divide shared assets
If you used an inheritance to pay for a renovation on the family home or deposited it into a joint savings account, a judge may include it in the shared assets that are up for division. In Maryland, courts use the source of funds rule to track where the money came from and decide what part is marital property and what part is sole property. But if the separate money is mixed in so much that the court cannot clearly trace it, the judge may treat the whole asset as marital property.
Factors that impact equitable distribution
When determining what a fair split is, a judge considers a number of elements, including:
Monetary and nonmonetary contributions of each spouse
Economic circumstances of each party
Duration of the marriage
Afterward, the judge will order a reasonable distribution of assets that fits the circumstances of the divorcing couple. Sometimes, a 50/50 split is an equitable distribution, but there are times when a 30/70 split is also fair.
Helping you plan for this transition
Distinguishing between marital and separate property is the foundation of a fair settlement when ending your marriage. Working with an experienced family law attorney can help you advocate effectively for your interests and move forward into the next chapter of your life.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Can child support change after a parent loses a job in Maryland?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503662026-10-09T12:51:32Z2026-10-09T12:51:32ZWhat a parent must show
Maryland courts review each request closely. To get a lower payment, a parent generally must meet three conditions:
Material change in circumstances: The parent's income must have changed enough to affect the support calculation. A small dip in pay is unlikely to qualify. A job loss that cuts income sharply usually does.
Involuntary job loss: The drop in income must come from something outside the parent's control, such as a layoff, a company closing or a firing. Quitting a job voluntarily generally does not meet this test.
No voluntary impoverishment: The court looks at whether the parent is avoiding work to pay less. A parent who leaves a job on purpose, turns down job offers or takes a lower-paying job without good reason may be treated as if they still earn their old income.Judges evaluate these factors to balance the financial needs of the child with the parent's actual ability to pay. Throughout this process, the court's primary objective remains protecting the child's overall well-being.
The importance of filing quickly
Even if a parent meets all three conditions, timing is critical. Under Maryland law, a judge can only apply a child support reduction back to the date the parent filed the formal motion. Any support that came due before that filing date is still owed at the original amount. Until the court rules on the petition, unpaid support continues to build up as debt, which can lead to serious penalties like a suspended driver's license or a seized tax refund.
Handling a support case while unemployed
Acting quickly prevents the debt from growing. A parent should gather key records, such as the termination notice, recent pay stubs and proof of an active job search. Then, they should file a petition right away. A Maryland family law attorney can review the parent's finances, prepare the petition and represent them in court.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Can separate property become marital property in Maryland?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503642026-09-11T09:22:48Z2026-09-16T05:01:11ZYou might assume that a home bought before marriage or an inheritance from a relative remains yours forever. However, a single deposit into the wrong bank account can permanently blur those legal lines. Under Maryland family law, everyday financial choices can quietly turn your personal assets into shared marital property.
How commingling changes asset ownership
Mixing personal assets into joint financial accounts can change who owns them. In Maryland, courts view these combined funds as marital property. This change happens most often with cash accounts and real estate investments. For instance, putting an inheritance into a joint bank account often strips away its separate status.Several common actions can transform separate property into a shared asset:
Retitling a sole bank account into both spouses' names
Using personal savings for a down payment on an Annapolis home
Depositing an inheritance check into a joint investment account
Adding a spouse to the deed of a home you owned before marriage
Tracking individual contributions requires clear financial records like original bank statements and sales receipts.
How active growth impacts separate property
An asset held in your name alone can still grow in value during a marriage. If marital effort or money drives that growth, Maryland law considers the added value marital property. Improving a vacation home with joint income or working to expand a pre-owned business adds marital value to your separate asset.Sorting out these financial details helps protect your personal wealth during a divorce. Hiring a skilled family law attorney can help you trace separate assets accurately and build a strong case.
Securing your financial rights
Unraveling mixed accounts and asset growth requires clear records and smart strategy. Gathering old bank statements, tracking premarital assets and reviewing account titles early can safeguard your personal property. Taking these proactive steps gives you the best chance at a fair outcome later in marital asset division.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[How executive bonuses affect child support calculations in Maryland]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503622026-10-13T16:23:51Z2026-09-09T15:53:16ZVariable pay makes support harder to calculate
A child support case becomes more complicated when one parent receives a large bonus, an equity grant or deferred compensation alongside a base salary. Courts often decide whether to count that pay in full, average it across prior years or use another method that better reflects the parent’s income history.
Maryland uses child support calculation rules in all support cases, but executive compensation raises extra questions about timing, consistency and how income should be measured.
Which details can affect the support analysis?
Evaluating bonus income fairly often requires more than a single pay stub. Timing, compensation terms and the parent’s earnings history all matter. Relevant details may include:
Whether the bonus is paid annually or represents a one-time event
Whether the parent received comparable bonuses in prior years
Whether the bonus is tied to ongoing performance or a specific, non-recurring business result
Whether stock or deferred compensation has vested and is accessible to the parent
Whether the parent's income history supports averaging the payments across multiple years
A single strong year does not always show what the parent earns over time. The timing and structure of the compensation also help the court decide whether the payment reflects regular income or a less predictable event.
How documentation shapes the support calculation
A support order becomes harder to sustain when the court treats variable compensation like fixed monthly pay. In some cases, the real dispute is not whether the bonus counts, but how to account for it without overstating or understating a parent’s ability to pay. Compensation history, tax records and the way the income is paid often shape child support matters in Maryland. A family law attorney can review that history and assess whether a proposed support figure reflects the parent’s actual earnings rather than an unusually strong year.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[How to secure a fair alimony when your spouse owns a business?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503592026-08-21T16:04:54Z2026-08-21T16:04:54ZScrutinizing the owner's reported income
As the non-owner spouse, don't just take their reported salary at face value when calculating alimony. That figure rarely tells the whole story. Working with a forensic accountant lets you investigate the business’s total profits, retirement perks and extra fringe benefits. It’s also wise to review several years of tax filings and balance sheets to get a real sense of your spouse’s actual earning capacity.
Identifying personal expenses disguised as business costs
It's really important to spot personal lifestyle costs that might be hidden as deductible expenses. A close look at financial statements often reveals family trips billed as business travel, inflated home office deductions or personal car leases. Once you have a clear financial picture, the court looks at the ability to pay, along with other statutory factors, to decide on a fair alimony award.
How documentation supports your alimony request
To make sure everything is fair, you need to push for total transparency and detailed financial records. Forensic accountants are great for peeling back the layers of corporate bookkeeping to tell legitimate business deals apart from personal ones. Finally, speaking with a family law attorney about the financial discovery process in Maryland can help you understand what records are available and how courts typically approach business income in alimony proceedings.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[What happens to unvested stock in a Maryland divorce?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503552026-08-18T12:43:17Z2026-08-18T12:43:17ZHow Maryland treats stock options in divorce
Maryland law generally looks at when you acquired property and where it came from. If you acquired a stock option during your marriage, the option may qualify as marital property even before you gain the right to exercise it.
A long vesting period can complicate that analysis. If you must remain employed after the marriage ends to earn the option, a court could treat only part of the grant as marital. Maryland courts have used a time-based formula that compares the period during the marriage with the full period between the grant date and vesting date.
Why the vesting terms matter
Your plan documents explain when the stock will vest and what you must do to receive it. They may also explain what happens to the award if you leave your job before the vesting date.
Why your employer gave you the stock might also matter. The award could reward work you already performed or depend on work you will do in the future. These details help show when you earned the award and how much of it relates to your marriage.
Keep your stock records organized
Unvested stock may account for a large part of your total pay. Deciding how much belongs in property division can add another difficult financial issue to your divorce.
Consider keeping your grant agreements and vesting schedules with recent account statements. These records could make the key dates and terms easier to review and give you useful documentation as you work through the process.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Dividing vacation homes and waterfront property during divorce]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503532026-08-14T06:41:12Z2026-08-14T06:41:12ZWhy these properties create unique challenges
Vacation homes and waterfront properties rarely have clean ownership histories. Many were purchased before marriage, inherited or bought using a mix of separate and joint funds, then maintained with marital income for years. That layered background makes even basic property classification a contested and complicated question.
Valuation is also rarely straightforward. Few waterfront properties sell frequently, so finding accurate comparisons is difficult. Their value depends on specific factors like water access, dock rights and shoreline conditions. Both spouses often have strong emotional ties to these properties, which can make reaching a fair settlement even harder.
Key questions that often shape the outcome
Several questions often influence how these properties are handled in a Maryland divorce:
How was the home acquired? A purchase during the marriage may raise different issues than a cottage owned before the marriage.
What is the fair value today? Waterfront lots, private docks and seasonal demand can affect the final valuation.
Can either party afford to keep it? Mortgage payments, insurance, repairs, staff support and taxes can strain even high-income households after separation.
Do children use the property regularly? A beach week or holiday routine may matter when parents want to preserve continuity.
These issues can shape both settlement strategy and long-term financial planning.
A careful plan can protect long-term goals
Some couples sell and divide the proceeds. Others agree that one party will retain the residence and offset its value with other holdings, such as brokerage funds or retirement assets. In limited circumstances, continued shared ownership for a short period may serve the family’s interests, though clear terms are essential.
Most cases resolve through a buyout, a sale or a shared ownership arrangement. Each option comes with different tax, financial and legal consequences. Choosing the right path early helps avoid costly mistakes and protects a property that often carries both significant financial emotional value.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[3 divorce options for a shared business]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503492026-07-24T11:05:29Z2026-07-24T11:04:06ZIf you and your spouse are business owners, and you have been working together to grow the company, you know that it can certainly complicate things if you decide to get a divorce. After all, your business is an asset that both of you own, and you may be wondering how the end of your marriage will affect that company.
Every situation is unique, but there are three main options that you should keep in mind.
You can keep working together
First and foremost, you do have the option to keep working together after the divorce. Perhaps the two of you could write a business partnership agreement and maintain a professional relationship, even after the romantic relationship ends. It likely just depends on the level of conflict in the divorce and whether you are still on relatively good terms.
One of you can take over
Another option is for one of you to exit the business while the other takes over as the sole owner and runs it independently. The main hurdle here is that the spouse who wants to stay typically has to buy out the ownership share of the spouse who is exiting the company.
You can sell the business and split the revenue
Finally, if you cannot find another solution, your business may have a certain cash value on the current market. If you can find a third party that is interested in buying it, you turn your company into a financial asset. You can split the earnings from the sale. You do lose the business that you built and will need to seek new employment options, but you both get the value out of that company.As you navigate your divorce, it can become complicated to address these types of issues. Be sure you know what legal options you have and what steps to take.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Dawn M. Green<![CDATA[Does your co-parent regularly fail to use their custody time?]]>https://www.dawngreenlaw.com/?p=503432026-07-14T12:55:05Z2026-07-14T12:55:05ZCancellations cause complications
One parent canceling at the last minute creates practical and financial strain for the other. Parents may have to call in sick to work, cancel their plans or pay out of pocket for child care. Additionally, children may develop a sense of personal rejection. They may view the cancellation as a reflection of the other parent’s care for them, rather than the result of practical complications. The emotional and social consequences of parental rejection can affect children for years to come.
Custody modifications can help
A parent requesting a custody modification must document the cancellations to show a pattern. Modifying the order can make life more predictable. Children may appreciate the stability of the schedule that does not involve last-minute changes. They are less likely to feel rejected if they know the custody order limits the parenting time one adult has with them.
Reviewing your current co-parenting circumstances with the family law attorney can help you decide if the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities in your order accurately reflects your family circumstances. Modifications are sometimes necessary when one parent doesn’t use their time.]]>