Domestic Law
Separation Agreements
Prior to going through a divorce, spouses can go through a legal separation.
If you ’re wondering what the first step is to separation, it really depends on your situation. The most important thing is to make a plan when you’re both calm and rational. Perhaps it would be in your family’s best interest to seek the advice of a trusted counselor before you make your separation plans.
Remember, the actions you take now may affect your legal rights should you get divorced. If you have children from your marriage, leaving your home in haste (unless you were protecting yourself) could influence the judge’s decision should you later seek child custody. The same goes true if you rely on your spouse for financial income and you later are seeking spousal support.
Anytime you and your spouse can come up with a written agreement, this can be used in court. If you are easily able to work out the marital possessions of who gets what, it will make this portion of your pending divorce go much smoother.
Before you work out all of the details of your separation with your spouse, please contact King Law P.A.. We can help you sort out a plan during this very difficult time
If you are going through a divorce, you’ll want to do so in the quickest, least stressful and most cost effective way. For those choosing an uncontested divorce, they find the process to be fairly simple, inexpensive and faster. An uncontested divorce is quite simply really. It just means that you and your spouse both sign a marital settlement agreement.
At King Law P.A., we can help you prepare this settlement agreement and explain each aspect of this agreement. Depending on the specifics of your divorce, the settlement agreement may include such things as child support, spousal support, child custody, marital assets, marital debt and the division of property.
The benefits of having an uncontested divorce are numerous, starting with the time you’ll save. For instance, once you sign the settlement agreement, your uncontested divorce can be filed. By working out the disagreements prior to filing for divorce, you’ll save time in court and that means you’ll save money, too.
Another advantage to filing an uncontested divorce is that you’ll avoid the interference of a judge deciding the major issues for you. Obviously the judge doesn’t know you as well as you and your spouse know each other. By working out agreements together, you’re likely to both walk away feeling satisfied that you got what you wanted.
Even if you and your spouse disagree or are unsure of certain issues, you still have a good chance of filing for an uncontested divorce. With our legal team working for you, we can help you work out a plan that suits your needs.
Divorce Litigation
The day you were married you were not expecting it to come to this. But through a series of unfortunate events, you now find yourself headed for divorce. To help make this painful time in your life less stressful and to help end it even quicker, please contact King Law P.A.
During your divorce case, King Law P.A. will work diligently to ensure your legal rights are protected. If your spouse has hired an attorney and/or your divorce litigation involves domestic violence or abuse, don’t hesitate to contact King Law P.A.
Divorce litigation can be financially as well as emotionally draining and may take months (in some cases years) to be resolved. That’s why it’s important to hire King Law P.A. who will keep your divorce proceeding on track and help you negotiate the best arrangement for yourself.
Whether your divorce was uncontested or contested, involves spousal and/or child support, King Law P.A. can help. If there was any abuse whether verbal or physical, we will bring the facts out. When marital property is involved, King Law P.A. will help oversee that your property is distributed in the most legal matter and in your best interest.
Child Custody
At King Law P.A., we can make sure your parental legal rights are protected. It’s important to have an attorney represent you if your spouse is represented by an attorney and/or if you are dealing with a potentially hostile custody case. There are different types of custody and we’ll help define and explain the differences of each.
First, there is joint custody, which means both parents share in the upbringing of their child or children. However, in this type of custody the children have only one primary residence. Another type of joint custody is shared physical custody, which means the children can have two residences and spend similar amounts of time with each parent.
Sole custody means that one parent is deemed the official caretaker of the child or children. Unless it is not in the best interest of the children, the parent who is not awarded sole custody has visitation rights. Custody itself is actually broken down into legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody means that the parent can make legal decisions regarding the child’s future including standard medical procedures, religious upbringing and education. Physical custody is when a child is living with one parent and taking care of them on a daily basis.
CHILD SUPPORT
The determination of child support is one of the most critical decisions made in a family law case. Naturally, emotions run high, but our lawyers are experienced in helping to attain the best results, based less on emotions and more on best interests of the children and the needs of the parties involved.
Each jurisdiction has established guidelines for calculating the amount of child support that a parent must pay.
Generally, the formula is dependent upon a number of factors, such as:
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- The amount of money both parents are able to earn.
- The amount of time both parents spend with their child(ren).
- The number of children that require child support.
- Health insurance expenses.
- Whether the children receive support from other sources.
- Daycare costs, education costs, and other expenses.
A court usually tries to come up with a child support amount that is fair to both parents and their circumstances. Parents may be able to work out a child support amount without using the Jurisdiction’s legislative formula, however you must show that this agreement is in your Child’s Best interest.
Court-ordered child support can continue until the child:
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- Turns 18 years of age and is no longer a full-time high school student.
- Turns 19 years of age.
- Becomes emancipated.
- Gets married.
- Forms a domestic partnership.
- Dies.
We can also advise you on how to have your support order enforced if the other parent stops making payments. In the United States, it is against the law to refuse to pay child support.
Domestic Violence Attorney
Domestic violence is a serious criminal offense which involves violence or abuse between spouses, family members or cohabitants. If you have been accused of domestic violence, child abuse or spousal abuse, you will need to act quickly to consult a defense attorney who can protect your rights and interests even in the face of these serious charges.
King Law P.A. handles domestic violence defense throughout all of Metropolitan Area. As an experienced defense lawyer, Marnitta L. King understands that domestic violence can cause a great deal of pain to families and can literally tear them apart. She also understands that at times these accusations are actually based upon false or exaggerated accusations. She believes in protecting the rights of her clients and helping them avoid a conviction for domestic violence.
As the principal litigator of a small, private law firm that exclusively practices State and Federal Criminal Defense, Marnitta L. King personally handles and/or oversees the litigation of every case. Since every client’s situation is unique, you deserve an attorney who will take the time to understand your specific needs. What’s more, you will receive this extraordinary level of personal attention through every step of the legal process.
A restraining order or an order of protection is almost always a part of a domestic violence case. In order to protect victims of violence and abuse, these court orders can be sought out by victims in order to prevent further abuse. A restraining order or order of protection may provide temporary or long-term protection for a domestic violence victim by prohibiting the accused abuser from coming within a certain distance of the victim or from contacting him/her.
Defending restraining orders and orders of protection is a service which King Law P.A. provides for its clients. When a restraining order is sought and obtained for frivolous or false means, attorney Marnitta L. King can help a client contest the restraining order and possibly have it lifted. A long-term restraining order may result in a person not being able to see his/her spouse and/or children for years.
Civil Domestic Protection Orders
Domestic Violence affects women, men and children. King Law P.A. assists Plaintiffs and Defendants in Civil Domestic Protection Actions. This includes assisting a victimized party seeking protection from domestic abuse and defending against these requests for domestic protection.
There are specific laws in the Maryland/DC area that provide speedy and effective protection to victims of domestic violence. Our primary goals for domestic violence clients at the King Law P.A. is to make sure you know about specific laws that protect you, to advise as to the necessity of filing a civil restraining order, and to be here to answer questions and respond to your appeals for help. If you believe that you or your children are in danger, then you should immediately call police and emergency authorities, as well as a county domestic violence agency for additional advice on available shelters. We also seek to assist Defendants understand the law and present viable arguments as to why the Protection Order is not needed and/or not applicable.