TGC Attorneys James J. Gross and Nelson A. Garcia will speak at the Commission for Women tonight at 7:00 pm on Negotiating a Separation Agreement with Your Spouse.

The seminar will include the advantages of an agreement over a contested divorce, what to include in an agreement, tips and tactics, strategies for negotiation, the different stages of negotiation and different negotiation techniques.

The cost is $20.  Call (240) 777-8300 for more information.  The Commission for Women is located at 401 N. Washington Street, Rockville, Maryland.

It may not be a good idea to try to increase child support during a recession.  House Bill 1401 which would have increased Maryland Child Support Guidelines, for the first time in 20 years, did not make it out of committee.  The House Judiciary Committee plans do a “summer study” of the bill.

“We will reserve our comments for the court.”  – Lois Finkelstein in “NBA Star Bosh Bashed in Suit for Child Support” by Caryn Tamber of The Daily Record, March 26, 2009.

Nelson Garcia will be on “News Nine” with Andrea Roane (WUSA 9 TV) to discuss the effect of taxes and the economy on divorce, at 9:00 a.m. Friday, March 27, 2009.

James J. Gross was interviewed by KMOX Radio on “Divorce in a Recession”, March 2, 2009.

A bill introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates that would revise and increase child support guidelines is winding its way through the legislature. The guidelines are based on the statistical estimated cost of raising children in 1998 and have not been updated for 20 years. The bill had its first reading on February 25, 2009.

The prince ran off with his secretary.  The princess sued him for divorce based on adultery and desertion.   She got custody, child support, alimony, lawyer fees, the castle and half the kingdom.  And then they lived happily ever after.

If you think that money buys happiness, or a little more money will solve your problems, I can assure you that more money will bring a whole new set of problems into your life.

Just ask Keith Lee and Lori Andochick of Frederick County, Maryland, who married in 1993, separated in 2004 and were divorced in 2007.   As a partner in the investment firm of Brown Capital of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Lee made $1,760,282 in 2006.  Dr. Andochick, a dentist, made $267,000 that year.

The Court awarded Dr. Andochick $10,000 a month in spousal support, $15,000 a month in child support for their two children, $2,200 a month in other costs for the children, a monetary award payable at $250,000 a year for five years and attorney fees.

Mr. Lee appealed the alimony award.  The Court of Special Appeals reversed the case.  The Court calculated the annual numbers on Mr. Lee like this:

Gross Income                         $1,760.282
Less Taxes                                ($762,282)
Less Debt Obligations             ($636,588)
Child Support and Alimony*  ($278,400)
Monetary Award                      ($250,000)

Total                                         ($166,988)

In other words, Mr. Lee would have had to borrow about $167,000 a year just to make ends meet and even then he would have nothing left over for food and personal expenses.  The Appeals Court found that the trial judge “did not do the math”.

* see comments

On the twelfth day of Christmas
The Good Court gave to me:
Twelve Years of Alimony
Eleven Grand for Attorneys
Ten Shares of Stock
Nine Options Vesting
Eight Years of Child Support
Seven Rooms of Furniture
Six Sets of China
Five Golden Rings
Four QDRO’s
Three Bank Accounts
Two Used Cars
and Half of the Remaining Equity.

You probably didn’t expect to be divorced or separated on Thanksgiving at this time in your life.  You probably feel like saying, “Gee, thanks for another #@*!! personal growth experience.”  Well, instead of staying at home feeling sorry for yourself and ordering pizza for Thanksgiving, here are some ideas to help you make it through the long holiday weekend.

The first thing you have to do is get into action.  Move your body and the head will follow.  Go for a walk or a jog.  Get to the gym and start losing that marriage fat.  Start a dance class or take tennis lessons.  Any activity is good that will get you moving.  Don’t think about it.  Just do it.  Force yourself.

The next thing to do is build a support network.  This can be your friends, relatives, religious leader, neighbor or therapist.  Join a support group.  Participate in online support groups.  It may seem to you that you are the only person in the world going through a divorce, but you are not alone.

Now, get outside of your troubles.  Find someone with problems bigger than yours and help them.  Volunteer to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving.  Visit a nursing home or a hospital.

Invite some friends over for a potluck supper.  Everything is attitude.  Stay positive and strong and have a great Thanksgiving.  Leave a comment if you have an activity or idea that helped you survive Thanksgiving when going through a divorce.

Uncontested divorces in Maryland are heard by a Family Law Master.  The Plaintiff needs to appear in court to testify.  The Defendant need only appear if it is what he or she wants to do.  Here’s a checklist of things you need for an uncontested divorce hearing:

• Report of Absolute Divorce or Annulment of Marriage (the Blue Form)
• Separation Agreement
• A Copy of Your Marriage Certificate
• Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
• Corroborating Witness and Witness Information Form
• Submission to Judgment

Many clients ask about getting an online divorce.  I have seen a couple of on line agreements that weren’t filled out properly by the clients.  And I have seen one for Washington, DC, where the on line form terminated child support at age 18.  DC law provides for child support until age 21.

Now comes news of the State Attorney General’s Office for Washington State closing down Online Divorce, a Delaware Company.  According to Hector Castro at SeattlePI.Com, the company charged $249 for a divorce and claimed that its staff included “divorce specialists.”

But after complaints from customers that they couldn’t get services or refunds, the state began investigating and found that the company was providing paralegal services without attorney oversight, a violation of state law.  The company ceased doing business in Washington state and at last report is looking for an attorney.