Maryland divorce laws

No matter where you apply for divorce, it’s always worthwhile knowing more about the local laws related to the marriage dissolution. If you live in MD, it’s necessary to learn what Maryland divorce law requires you to do when you are splitting up with your spouse.

Some regulations may impose certain requirements on spouses who want to dissolve their marriage. According to divorce laws in Maryland, divorce in this state can be fault-based and no-fault. The latter is much easier than the standard fault-based case. But in either situation, it’s necessary to make sure you follow the divorce rules in Maryland and do everything correctly in order to avoid unnecessary problems.

What you must know about MD divorce laws

The divorce laws in Maryland state that you need to meet many legal demands. As a rule, divorce law in Maryland allows you to divorce based on certain grounds, as will be explained further, and there is no waiting period for some grounds. For example, if you meet all the requirements for the divorce by mutual consent, the court may finalize your divorce without waiting period.

It’s necessary to follow the state of Maryland divorce laws in order to end your marriage in MD. If you plan to go through the marriage dissolution online, you must solve various issues with your spouse in advance. The divorce procedure in Maryland presupposes that you have resolved all the debatable points, such as:

• Problems related to childcare or financial support offered to kids
• The amount of alimony and duration of payment
• Health insurance provided to kids and the spouse
• Distribution of valuables and shared belongings, etc.

The divorce laws for Maryland suggest that you can go through the breakup online if you can peacefully solve the above issues.

What’s more, according to MD divorce law, you should also make sure you consider such things as adultery and other serious misdeeds when filing for the case. These issues may influence the amount and duration of financial assistance for one spouse and may affect the verdict of the judge. The Maryland State divorce law on adultery states that engaging in sexual relations with someone outside marriage is considered adultery, which is a good enough reason to split up.

Under the divorce laws in MD, if spouses are separated, it’s illegal to engage in adultery throughout this period. If either party breaks this rule or other conditions related to separation, the case may become complicated and the jilted spouse will receive the right to file a lawsuit about the violation of the agreement.

As a result, it can be assumed that the state of MD divorce laws are rather strict towards separating or divorcing parties, so you should know the rules before engaging in a case.

To divorce in Maryland, you will have to prepare the right documentation and provide it to the correct courthouse. The divorce law in MD states that the actual procedure must start at filing the complaint, where the following points should be mentioned:

• Date and place of your marriage
• Information about kids
• Length of residency in Maryland
• The presence of any legal issues between the spouses
• Reasons for the breakup
• Details on other aspects like alimony or child support, etc.

All these details are important to get through the divorce process in Maryland correctly and quickly. If you don’t want your case to be too long and tiresome, it’s best to apply online and get the required documents for your specific circumstances.

Ways to go through the Maryland divorce process

At the initial stage of the breakup, it is necessary to prepare the paperwork and provide it to the court. After that, you’ll need to serve copies of the documents to your spouse. At this point, the process of divorce in Maryland will require you to give the complaint for the case to your spouse, and there are a few things you should remember here:

• The paperwork can be delivered to your spouse via a sheriff, a process server, or certified mail.
• The divorce process in Maryland also suggests that the respondent has a month to respond to the initiation of the breakup if he/she resides in the state. If not, the process might take longer.
• The spouse may accept or deny the Maryland grounds for divorce listed in the documents.
• The defendant has a right to offer a responding complaint that contains their own reasons for divorce in Maryland applicable to the case.

As a result, your spouse’s response can make all the difference. In fact, if the responding party doesn’t accept the start of the divorce process in MD, the petitioner may ask for a default verdict. This will let you split up without the agreement of your spouse.

What every divorcing couple should know about grounds for divorce in Maryland

There are many things to remember when getting divorced. Among others, you have to consider the grounds for divorce in MD. The reasons for the case can be different depending on which type of breakup you are going through. Thus, divorce law for Maryland suggests that the grounds for a no-fault case may include:

• Residing apart for a year or more
• Coming to a consensus with each other about every important issue in your spousal relationship.

There are also fault-based grounds for divorce for Maryland applicants. These are applicable to your case only if you’re undergoing a standard contested breakdown of your marriage. They may include:

• The infidelity of either partner
• Aggressive behavior or abuse
• Any other wrongdoings targeting one’s spouse or kids
• Untreatable insanity
• Willful abandonment for at least one year
• Criminal activity and imprisonment.

Note that if none of these apply to you, you may opt for getting divorced online. This is a much simpler and less stressful alternative.

What Maryland divorce requirements should you follow?

There are many demands you should meet before splitting up with your spouse. However, the residency demands are very important and need to be met in all situations. The residency requirements for divorce in Maryland are:

• If the grounds for the case took place within the state’s boundaries, no particular demands to your place of residence are necessary.
• If the grounds for divorce happened somewhere outside the state, Maryland divorce rules require you to live in the state for at least a year prior to the start of the procedure.

Other rules for divorce in Maryland suggest that if there are no kids in the family, you can split up without living apart for the designated period as long as you come to an agreement with your spouse.

How do you get through the Maryland divorce procedure easily?

If you wish to go your separate ways with your spouse in Maryland, you should make sure the breakup process is carried out correctly and, most importantly, without any unwanted problems. Online divorce procedures in Maryland are definitely the easiest way to split up with your spouse.

Feel free to ask our experts for help if you want your divorce paperwork to be done correctly and if your priority is to divorce quickly and without stress. 

States divorce law