Family Law and Custody

Family Law Overview

Family law is a unique field of legal practice which focuses on the handling of the legal issues that families face when they are encountering times of change. These issues include: marriage, separation, divorce, adoption, child custody, child support, child visitation, child custody modification, paternity, alimony modification, domestic violence, separation agreements, prenuptial agreements, and conflict management, mediation, settlement processes, enforcement proceedings, and in some cases domestic violence. The practice of family law involves the court processes and litigation. Family law cases can involve complex and lengthy litigation in court, and they can also be very simple and require only basic filings. At the Law Office of Kendall Summers we handle all family law matters from the most complex to the very simple. Every case is important, and we work with our clients to determine the approach to the case that best meets their needs. Our goals include providing our clients with excellent legal counsel and service; being available to our clients; and working with cases and budgets to determine the best path forward the meets the needs of each case.

If you are facing a life changing experience, or have a loved-one who is in need of legal help, contact the Law Office of Kendall Summers today. We offer outstanding legal representation, personal and attentive guidance, a wealth of resources and referrals, and experienced legal advice that we take care to gear to the special facts and circumstances of each of our cases. We pride ourselves on providing our client’s with the tools they need to make good decisions for themselves and their family.

Are you searching for a Family Law Divorce Attorney in Annapolis?

Kendall Summers is a well-known and highly respected divorce attorney in Annapolis with over 25 years of legal experience. We provide not only excellent guidance and legal advice, but a wide range of conflict resolution options to achieve for our clients the best possible outcome. In addition to aggressive litigation where necessary, we also provide experienced negotiation settlement skills, mediation, and Collaborative Law. There are many ways to handle a conflict situation, and we guide our clients to make informed choices of the costs and benefits of each approach. We guide our clients and represent them zealously in each case.

Family Law Terms:

• Marriage – The legal joining together of two people into a married union of one.
• Divorce – The legally recognized end to a marriage. In Maryland, we have two types of divorce: (1) Absolute Divorce is a final divorce ending a marriage, and (2) Limited
• Divorce is a hybrid structure which allows parties to set alimony, support and living arrangements while continuing to be legally married.
• Child Support – In Maryland both parents are legally required to earn a living and provide support for their children. Maryland law now has Child Support Guidelines which set the amount of child support as between parents based on both parties incomes, the percentage of time the child is with each parent, and the cost of various itemized expenses born by each parent. The Maryland Courts are required to use the Maryland Child Support Guidelines in setting support, unless the Court makes specific findings allowing it to deviate from the guidelines.
• Alimony – Alimony is spousal support which may be ordered by a Court in Maryland during the process of obtaining a divorce at the request of either party. The history of alimony stems from the older more traditional concepts of family structure in which the Wife/Mother was not able to work, and the Father was the primary provider. As today both parties can generally earn an income, alimony has become more “rehabilitative” in the sense of providing support to help a dependent spouse become independent. Alimony can also be granted by the Courts to correct a disparity in incomes. In determining alimony, the court applies a number of factors defined in Maryland Law. In general terms whether and to what extent alimony should be granted is a judgment to be made by a Court after in consideration of the legal factors. Both women and men can be recipients today of alimony.
• Support Modification – The standard under Maryland Law for the court to consider a modification in support is whether there have been a “material change in circumstances.” As Maryland Courts retain primary jurisdiction over the wellbeing of children in the state, the court can order modification of child support in appropriate cases. Alimony, in some cases, may also be subject to modification. Generally, parties can agree to modifications and the modifications can become subject to court order by a Consent Order process. Otherwise, support modifications generally involve a more complex court process.
• Domestic Violence – Domestic Violence occurs in families where one party injuries the other. These cases often involve a pattern of violence. Domestic Violence is a specialized area of law designed to provide protection and immediate access to the courts for the victims of physical or other extreme abuse. This abuse can take many forms, and the domestic violence statute applies not only to married couples, children and family, but also to parties living together as a couple under specified circumstances. If you are a victim of domestic violence, you should seek help. Domestic Violence is often the result of issues far beyond the marriage, that replay themselves in the context of the marriage. Generally, patterns of domestic violence get worse and more extreme over time, meaning that the danger to the victim increases rather than decreases over time.

If you need Expert Experienced Family Law Advice from a Family law Attorney, call the office of Kendall Summers in Annapolis Maryland, today.

The Law Office of Kendall Summers is located in Annapolis Maryland, and serves clients in Anne Arundel County (Annapolis, Arnold, Crofton, Davidsonville, Edgewater, Glen Burnie, Harwood, Lothian, Millersville, Pasadena, Severna Park, and surrounding towns and areas), Howard County, and Prince George’s County, and the Eastern Shorn of Maryland, (including Cecil County, Kent County, Queen Anne’s County, Caroline County, Dorchester County and Talbot County).