On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Divorce on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Maryland residents may not be surprised to hear that recent reports show divorce rates among the baby boomer population have nearly doubled over a 20 year period, many of them after long-term marriages. Many families in recent years have likely noticed that their aunts, uncles, parents, or even grandparents have filed for divorce, an action that most people attribute to younger couples and not older couples in long-term marriages.
While many people may view divorce among older couples as being odd, it's very likely that these couples are choosing to divorce for many of the same reasons that younger couples do. Unhappiness, financial instability and abuse may all be contributing factors.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Child Custody on Thursday, May 10, 2012
It is common knowledge that many states across the country, including Maryland, have had an increase in single mother households during the last few decades, but this is no longer the fastest growing family dynamic in America.
Today, more U.S. men than ever before have primary child custody. According to the founder and president of the National Center for Fathering, single-parent households, headed by fathers with children younger than 18, are now the fastest growing households in America.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Divorce on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
For some Maryland couples, when divorce finally comes, it almost seems like it was inevitable. However, for others, the word divorce is a total shock uses it for the first time. With social media growing enormously over the past several years, it has added to the problem in many marriages.
More and more, stories surface of spouses who believed that their relationship was just fine until they discovered something about their spouse's Facebook page, which sometimes exposes a double-life about which the unsuspecting spouse previously knew nothing.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Divorce on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Sometimes a married couple may have a falling out for any number of reasons, leading to a divorce. The falling out could be due to people naturally changing over time, or it could even be due to a deep, fundamental disagreement between the spouses. Nonetheless, even when a divorce is sought by both parties and otherwise amicable, it might quickly turn contentious due to the adversarial nature of the court process.
However, Maryland readers may be interested to know that there are alternatives to divorce court. One such alternative is known as a collaborative divorce. Instead of working against one another, the couple works with one another in a collaborative divorce to come up with a mutual agreement. Moreover, it is also often cheaper and less stressful than going to court.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Unmarried Couples on Friday, April 20, 2012
Depending upon the nature of the relationship, unmarried couples in Maryland and elsewhere can face unique challenges. This is particularly true when children are involved as sifting through family law matters can become quite complicated while trying to decide child custody for those who were never married. However, a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more and more people are deciding to have children outside of marriage.
In a previous report published by the government, it was found that births to unwed mothers accounted for 40 percent of all newborns. However, the new CDC study looks deeper into the data and reveals that the majority of the unwed births are to unmarried couples who are living together. In all, about 23 percent of all births are to cohabiting but unmarried couples.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Divorce on Friday, April 13, 2012
Maryland residents may be interested to hear that Heidi Klum has officially filed for divorce from her husband, Seal. The two, who have been married for seven years, announced their separation three months ago. As the couple shares children, their divorce may involve complicated matters relating to child custody in addition to other issues such as property division.
Wed in 2005, the two share four children who range in age from 2 to 7 years old. In her divorce filing, Klum is seeking primary physical custody of the children, meaning that Seal would have visitation rights only. She is, however, requesting that the two share legal custody of the kids.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Emotions can run high in child custody disputes. Maryland parents vying for custody may disagree vigorously regarding the best interests of the child, making it difficult to come to any mutual agreement. As part of this, it's important for a parent caught in a child custody matter to act in a manner that does not do their case any harm.
Recently, this was expanded upon in an article that appeared on the Huffington Post. Although the article is written for fathers, many of the pieces of advice can apply to both parents. For example, keeping one's anger in check and refraining not only from yelling but also from criticizing the other parent can help their case tremendously.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Unmarried Couples on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Maryland residents may be interested to know that the Pew Research Center recently released a study showing that only 51 percent of American adults are taking their wedding vows, representing an all-time low. However, the number of unmarried couples moving in together has been on the rise, as people decide to delay marriage.
Yet just as a marriage may end in divorce, a relationship can result in a breakup, and that breakup may have features normally associated with a divorce. To assist with family law matters that arise in the event of the end of a relationship, many unmarried couples are turning to cohabitation agreements.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Divorce on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Many Maryland residents are no doubt well aware of the complex issues involved in a divorce. There is not just the issue of dissolving the marriage itself, but there is also the issue of how to fairly divide the marital property. When children are involved, the divorce may become even more complicated as the spouses vie for custody.
In a divorce that readers may find interesting, actor Dennis Quaid's divorce brings all these issues to the table. His third wife recently filed for divorce due to a "conflict of personalities" after seven years of marriage. The two share 4-year-old twins.
On behalf of Steven J. Gaba, Attorney and Counselor at Law posted in Domestic Violence on Wednesday, March 14, 2012
When someone is caught in an abusive relationship, they may suffer both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, domestic violence is all too common, and the victims of it may feel as if there is no one for them to turn to. However, under Maryland law, it may be possible to get a protective order against the abusive spouse.
A protective order can help ensure that an abusive person is kept away from the victim. However, state law only allows protective orders in very specific instances. Unless the abuser is a spouse, a relative, someone the victim is living with or someone they share a child with, it is currently not possible to obtain a protective order.
