Maryland laws consider marriages as civil contracts involving couples. On the other hand, divorces are court-ordered legal dissolution of marriage unions. Divorces are expensive; therefore, couples may be willing to take on duties that they should otherwise delegate to specialists.
You can get a divorce in Maryland without hiring a lawyer if the task in question involves dissolving your marital union.
If you choose not to go through the conventional litigation route, you should still seek legal advice before using your state’s mutually consensual divorce process. Jimeno & Gray is the best divorce attorney Glen Burnie, should you consider hiring one. Otherwise, you may end up spending more in the long run.
Here are some of the ways you can get your divorce without involving an attorney.
Traditional Litigation: Costly Hiring Divorce Attorneys
Countless people throughout Maryland sure invest a lot of money during their marriage ceremonies. But they are unwilling to expend related amounts of cash on their divorces when their marriage partnership fails. The traditional legal procedure of ending these marriages can suddenly get costly.
Your legal counsel will have to devote time towards drafting and submitting legal documentation, going to hearings and progress meetings, dealing with the counsel of your partner, and scrutinizing any financial or personal records released throughout the discovery phase.
Typically, lawyers charge by hourly rates; the longer it takes them to handle a matter, the more expensive it gets for the divorcing party. Yet, not all instances necessitate such high price tags.
Engaging a divorce attorney shouldn’t have to get costly in cases with minimal conflicts where sides can consent on the majority of what they want and whoever will get what property. In reality, you can go before a judge and seek divorce without the assistance of an attorney.
Mutually Consensual Divorce Process In Maryland (Without A Lawyer)
You could only get a divorce within Maryland via the traditional litigation process until recently. It didn’t matter whether you or your partner had agreed. The courts didn’t grant divorces until partners had stayed in their marital union for a minimum of 12 months.
In 2015, Maryland state introduced Mutual Consensual Divorces. They were strictly for partners without kids then; this method significantly reduced the time you would spend seeking a divorce by half.
It also did away with the one-year separation condition. The mutual agreement procedure was so effective that the state broadened it in 2018 to encompass all types of divorces, including those involving kids.
Mutual consent divorces can be time-efficient, pocket-friendly, and less stressful for qualifying households. Even when you seek the counsel of a divorce attorney, the procedure can still be affordable since it’s faster.
Should your finances be limited, you and your partner can stay together until your divorce ends, saving on expenses you would have used on two different residences. Even when you seek the counsel of a divorce attorney, the procedure can still be affordable since it’s faster.
Mutual Consent Necessitates Total Agreement
Regrettably, several spouses who have agreed to divorce may still be ineligible for the mutually consensual method. It’s because of their inability to reach an amicable resolution when divorcing.
To be eligible for a mutual consent divorce, you must complete the following requirements:
- Parties must append their signatures and submit a formal settlement agreement addressing all concerns, such as support payments and division of assets.
- Incorporate provisions that resolve any care-related matters, for instance, access, upkeep, and custody.
- Also, include worksheets with legally-approved child support instructions.
- None of the parties should request a court’s strike down on the mutual consent before the hearing.
- One of the spouses has to appear before a judge in Maryland during the hearing.
Some partners can resolve their differences amicably, while others may require assistance to determine how they can share their assets or the duration they’ll be making alimony payouts.
On the other hand, others can reach a consensus on all problems but cannot understand their common grounds thoroughly. When this happens, hiring a divorce attorney to assist in sorting out the terms of settlements will save you time and give you peace of mind.
In other instances, the problem may not be how to split assets. Instead, it may be about the sides figuring out what needs to be shared and the method of sharing. When a spouse typically manages all financial concerns, the other partner may be unaware of their right or cumulative money, particularly retirement funds or alimony.
In many divorces, the partner with more substantial income may mistakenly believe they’re eligible for a vast share of the possessions. Should low-earning partners not pose questions, they may find themselves without the financial resources to rebuild their lives after the divorce.
When involved parties understand that their divorce is inevitable, they can quickly agree on asset division, child support, alimony, and visitation. While you may be intending to use Maryland’s mutual consent approach in pursuing your divorce, you should engage a competent divorce lawyer to examine your matter and paperwork before presenting it to a judge.