Navigating the complexities of tax benefits associated with childcare expenses can be particularly challenging for non-custodial parents. Understanding whether you can claim the child and dependent care credit is crucial for effective financial planning and maximizing tax benefits. This guide, tailored by Coover Law Firm, LLC, explores the conditions under which a non-custodial parent might…
A common question that we get asked early in the divorce process is: Is Maryland a 50/50 divorce state? While the question seems straightforward, the truth is that the term “50/50 divorce” requires clarification. Ultimately, the answer depends upon which issue we’re referring to: child custody or property division. Issue #1: Child Custody One area…
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Or is it? For many families, particularly those dealing with separation and divorce, this is not always the case. The holidays can bring a lot of emotion to the surface, especially when there are children involved. Divorced parents often feel increased pressure to make the holidays “perfect”…
Being a parent is tough under any circumstances. When you have a child with someone whom you are no longer in a relationship with, due to separation, divorce or any other reason, it adds an additional layer of difficulty. Co-parenting and sharing time with the child can often prove to be a challenge, even…
There is probably not a more important, or emotionally-charged, issue in separation and divorce than that of child custody. Custody involves not only the amount of time that each parent gets to spend with his or her children; it also encompasses the right to make major, life-shaping decisions for the children. Certainly, this is not…
FILING TAXES AFTER DIVORCE OR SEPARATION: WHO GETS TO CLAIM THE KIDS? When two parents are married and file a joint tax return, both claim the children as dependents and both benefit from the exemption. However, when filing taxes after divorce, the former spouses no longer have the option of filing a joint tax return.…
Maryland’s Highest Court Overturns 2008 Decision Regarding the Parental Rights of a De Facto Parent (Columbia, MD) A de facto parent is a person considered by the court to have assumed the role of parent to a non-biological child. To qualify as a de facto parent, the person must prove that they have lived with, raised…
For most fathers, there is very little in this world more important than the wellbeing of his child(ren). Issues of child custody and parental rights arise when the wellbeing of the child needs to be protected. For dads facing this situation, having knowledge about fathers rights under Maryland law – along with a firm understanding of his…
Columbia, Maryland family law attorney at Coover Law Firm discusses the use of social media posts in divorce or child custody & how to manage your social media.
