Maryland
Divorce &
Separation
Law
Eighth Edition
Edited
by
Daniel
F. Thomas, Esq.
Thomas & Kalichman, P.A.
Table of Contents
FOREWORD............................................................................................................. iii
ABOUT THE AUTHORS......................................................................................... v
MICPEL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................................... ix
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS................................................................................... xi
Chapter 1
Divorce:
Grounds and Defenses
I. CHANGING ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE ................................... 7
A. History
.............................................................................................................. 7
B. The
Future ........................................................................................................ 7
II. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................. 8
A. Distinction
Between Absolute and Limited Divorce .............................................. 8
1. Grounds
not interchangeable ......................................................................... 8
2. Effect
of limited divorce on complaint for absolute divorce .............................. 8
3. A
limited divorce granted on a complaint for absolute divorce ......................... 9
B. Jurisdiction
........................................................................................................ 9
1. Residency
requirement ................................................................................. 9
2. Effect
of foreign enjoinment ......................................................................... 9
C. General
Evidentiary Requirements ...................................................................... 9
1. Existence
of ground ..................................................................................... 9
2. Complaint
.................................................................................................... 10
3. Corroboration
required ................................................................................. 10
4. Corroboration
by written separation agreement .............................................. 11
5. Testimony
................................................................................................... 11
D. Offer
or Attempt to Reconcile ............................................................................ 11
1. Voluntary
separation not barred .................................................................... 11
2. Effect
on desertion: not interpreted ................................................................ 11
3. Effect
on alimony ................................................................................... 11
E. Parties
Living in Same House ............................................................................. 12
F. Procedural
Considerations .................................................................................. 12
1. Testimony
................................................................................................... 12
2. Docket
entry ............................................................................................... 12
3. Limitation
of the use of the entry of a judgment of divorce
nunc pro tunc ............................................................................................... 13
4. Appeals
....................................................................................................... 13
5. Non-admissibility of orders or decisions
rendered in domestic
violence proceedings and the fact of compliance therewith in
divorce proceedings ..................................................................................................... 13
6. Concurrent
grounds for divorce ..................................................................... 13
G. Counsel
Fees ..................................................................................................... 14
III. ABSOLUTE DIVORCE — FAM. LAW § 7‑103 .................................. 16
A. Adultery
— Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(1) .................................................................. 16
1. Definition
.................................................................................................... 16
2. Evidence
required ........................................................................................ 16
B. Desertion
— Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(2) ................................................................. 18
1. Elements
..................................................................................................... 18
2. Two
types of desertion ................................................................................. 18
C. Voluntary
Separation — Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(3) ................................................ 21
1. Elements
..................................................................................................... 22
2. Voluntary
separation not a bar to divorce for adultery ..................................... 23
3. Desertion
or voluntary separation? ................................................................ 23
D. Twelve-Month
Imprisonment Under Felony or Misdemeanor Sentence —
Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(4) ..................................................................................... 23
1. Statutory
elements ....................................................................................... 23
2. Evidence
and corroboration .......................................................................... 24
E. Statutory
Separation — Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(5) ................................................. 24
1. Elements
..................................................................................................... 24
2. Recrimination
not a bar ................................................................................ 24
F. Insanity
— Fam. Law § 7‑103(a)(6) ................................................................... 24
1. Permanently
and incurably insane ................................................................. 24
2. Confinement
................................................................................................ 24
3. Psychiatric
testimony ................................................................................... 25
G. Cruelty
of Treatment Toward a Complaining Party or to a Minor
Child of that Complaining Party — Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(7) ................................. 25
H. Excessively
Vicious Conduct Toward a Complaining Party or to a Minor
Child of that Complaining Party — Fam. Law § 7-103(a)(8) ................................. 25
IV. LIMITED DIVORCE ............................................................................ 25
A. Grounds
............................................................................................................ 25
B. Cruelty
Toward the Complaining Party or to a Minor Child of That Party — Fam. Law
§ 7-102(a)(1) 26
1. Definition
.................................................................................................... 26
2. The
burden of proof ..................................................................................... 27
C. Excessively
Vicious Conduct Toward the Complaining Party or to a
Child of That Party — Fam. Law § 7-102(a)(2) ................................................... 27
D. Desertion
— Fam. Law § 7-102(a)(3) ................................................................. 28
E. Voluntary
Separation — Fam. Law § 7-102(a)(4) ................................................ 28
V. DEFENSES TO DIVORCE ................................................................... 29
A. Insanity
............................................................................................................. 29
B. Connivance
....................................................................................................... 29
1. Definition
.................................................................................................... 29
2. Ascertaining
grounds for adultery ............................................................ 29
C. Condonation
...................................................................................................... 29
1. Definition
.................................................................................................... 29
2. Condonation
inferred from cohabitation ......................................................... 30
3. Condonation
of adultery ................................................................................ 30
4. Condonation
of cruelty ................................................................................. 30
5. Condoned
offense revived ............................................................................ 30
D. Provocation
....................................................................................................... 30
E. Recrimination
.................................................................................................... 31
1. Definition
.................................................................................................... 31
2. No
longer a bar in cases of absolute divorce .................................................. 31
3. Suit
for voluntary separation ......................................................................... 31
4. Two‑year
separation .................................................................................... 31
F.
Collusion .......................................................................................................... 31
VI. ANNULMENT ....................................................................................... 32
A. Definition
.......................................................................................................... 32
B. Grounds
............................................................................................................ 32
1. Prior
existing marriage ................................................................................. 32
2. Fraud,
misrepresentation, or imposition .......................................................... 32
C. Evidentiary
Requirements ................................................................................... 32
D. Effect
on Property Disposition ............................................................................ 32
E. Jurisdiction
........................................................................................................ 33
Chapter 2
Part
One — ALIMONY
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 41
II. SETTLEMENTS, JUDICIAL DISCRETION, AND ALIMONY ........ 41
III. ENTITLEMENT, NATURE, AND DURATION OF
ALIMONY/SUPPORT .................................................................................... 44
A. Entitlement
to Alimony ....................................................................................... 44
B. The
Nature of Alimony ...................................................................................... 46
1. Traditional
alimony ....................................................................................... 46
2. Alimony
in gross .......................................................................................... 51
3. Alimony
pendente lite ................................................................................... 51
4. Divorce
terminates right to alimony ............................................................... 54
C. Amount
and Duration of Alimony ........................................................................ 59
1. Comparison
of alimony before and after 1980 ................................................ 59
2. The
statutory factors to be considered ........................................................... 63
3. Modification
and extension of alimony ........................................................... 83
4. Prospective
modification ............................................................................... 86
5. Child
support ............................................................................................... 87
6. Retroactive
alimony claims ........................................................................... 87
D. Source
of Alimony ............................................................................................. 87
E. Enforcement
...................................................................................................... 88
IV. OTHER SUPPORT ISSUES .................................................................. 88
A. Criminal
Action for Support of Spouse ................................................................. 88
B. Agency
by Necessity ......................................................................................... 89
C. Attorney’s
Fees and Suit Money ......................................................................... 89
D. Constitutional
Considerations .............................................................................. 92
E. Caveat
Regarding the Property Disposition Act ................................................... 93
Part
Two — CHILD SUPPORT
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 95
II. CHILD SUPPORT: STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND RULES ........ 96
III. GUIDELINES — LEGISLATIVE HISTORY ..................................... 101
IV. REASON FOR GUIDELINES ............................................................ 102
V. GUIDELINES OVERVIEW ................................................................ 102
VI. APPLICATION OF THE GUIDELINES ........................................... 105
VII. DETERMINATION OF CHILD
SUPPORT OBLIGATION:
Fam. Law § 12-204 ........................................................................................... 106
A. Actual
Income ................................................................................................... 106
B. Voluntarily
Impoverished .................................................................................... 106
C. Incarceration:
Voluntary or Involuntary Impoverishment ....................................... 109
D. Voluntary
Impoverishment: Potential Income ....................................................... 110
E. Attributing
Income to a Spouse ........................................................................... 113
1. Hypothetical
A ............................................................................................ 114
2. Hypothetical
B ............................................................................................. 114
F. “Grossing
Up” Actual Income ............................................................................ 116
G. Overtime
Income ............................................................................................... 116
H. Gifts
as Income ................................................................................................. 117
I. Capital
Gains as Income ..................................................................................... 118
J. Income
Exceeding $10,000 per Month ................................................................. 118
K. Extraordinary
Medical Expenses ......................................................................... 121
L. Work-related
Child Care Expenses ..................................................................... 122
M. School
and Transportation Expenses ................................................................... 123
N. Payment
of Other Expenses as Child Support ...................................................... 127
O. Split
Custody ..................................................................................................... 128
P. Shared
Custody Formula .................................................................................... 129
Q. Effect
of Social Security Income to Child on Child Support Obligation ................... 130
VIII. USE OF THE GUIDELINES;
MODIFICATION OF ORDER;
DEVIATION FROM THE GUIDELINES; REVIEW:
Fam. Law § 12-202 ........................................................................................... 131
A. Rebutting
the Presumption .................................................................................. 131
B. Mandatory
Nature of the Guidelines .............................................................. 136
C. Modification
of Child Support .............................................................................. 137
1. Change
of circumstances based on the statute ............................................... 137
2. Change
of circumstances based on § 12-104 ................................................. 140
IX. MISCELLANEOUS
CHILD SUPPORT ISSUES ............................... 147
A. Incapacitated
Child ............................................................................................ 147
B. Dependency
Tax Exemption ......................................................................... 148
C. Uniform
Gift to Minors Act ................................................................................ 148
D. Sanctions
for Failure to Comply with Discovery ................................................... 149
E. Waiver
of Child’s Right to Support When Child is Adopted ................................... 149
F. Agreement
to Terminate Child Support Obligation ................................................ 150
G. Contempt
After Judgment .................................................................................. 150
H. Doctrine
of Laches ............................................................................................ 150
I. Effect
of “Non-Paternity” on Pre-existing Paternity/Child Support Order ............... 151
J. Constitutional
Safeguards in Contempt Proceedings .............................................. 151
K. Present
Ability to Pay Arrearage in Contempt Case ............................................. 151
L. Enforcement
of Order for Emergency Family Maintenance .................................. 152
M. Collection
of Attorney’s Fees ............................................................................. 152
Appendix
Child Support Guidelines
Hypothetical A ........................................................................................................ 155
Hypothetical B ......................................................................................................... 156
Hypothetical C ......................................................................................................... 157
Hypothetical D ........................................................................................................ 158
Hypothetical E ......................................................................................................... 159
Chapter 3
Property
Disposition in
Divorce and Annulment
I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................... 189
A. Basic
concepts of the Disposition of Property Act or the Marital
Property Act ..................................................................................................... 189
B. Application
of the Marital Property Act ............................................................... 190
1. Effective
date .............................................................................................. 190
2. Interpretation
............................................................................................... 190
C. Constitutionality
of the Marital Property Act ........................................................ 190
D. Construction
of the Act ...................................................................................... 191
1. Report
Accompanying the Commission’s Proposed Bill
on the Disposition of Property in Connection with a Divorce or
Annulment (1978) ........................................................................................ 191
II. TITLE DETERMINATIONS .............................................................. 191
A. General
Statement ............................................................................................. 191
B. Prior
Law .......................................................................................................... 191
C. The
Current Statutes .......................................................................................... 192
1. Real
property ............................................................................................... 192
2. Personal
property ......................................................................................... 204
3. Mandatory
court make title determinations ..................................................... 206
4. Proceeds
from personal injury ....................................................................... 206
III. MARITAL PROPERTY AND THE MONETARY AWARD ............ 207
A. Elements
Which Must be Present in Order that a Court May Grant a
Monetary Award ............................................................................................... 207
1. Marriage
..................................................................................................... 207
2. The
grant of an absolute divorce or annulment ............................................... 207
3. The
existence of some marital property ......................................................... 208
4. The
marital property must be valued .............................................................. 276
5. Miscellaneous
.............................................................................................. 313
B. Factors
Considered in Determining the Amount of the Monetary Award
and its Method of Payment ................................................................................. 327
1. The
contributions, monetary and nonmonetary, of each party to the
well-being of the family ................................................................................ 327
2. The
value of all property interests of each party ............................................. 329
3. The
economic circumstances of each party at the time the award
is to be made ............................................................................................... 330
4. The
circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the
parties ......................................................................................................... 334
5. The
duration of the marriage ......................................................................... 335
6. The
age of each party .................................................................................. 335
7. The
physical and mental condition of each party ............................................. 335
8. How
and when property acquired ................................................................. 335
9. The
nonmarital contributions by either party ................................................... 338
10. Any
award of alimony or use and possession ................................................. 338
11. Any
other discretionary factors ..................................................................... 341
12. Irrelevant
circumstances .............................................................................. 343
13. Reconsideration
of factors in event of remand to redetermine award ............... 343
C. Duration
of the Power of a Court to Make Marital Property
Determinations .................................................................................................. 344
1. Determination
mandatory, extension allowed .................................................. 344
2. Application
to valuation of marital property .................................................... 348
3. Determination
of the date of the “grant” of an annulment or divorce ................ 348
D. Judgment
........................................................................................................... 349
1. In
general .................................................................................................... 349
2. Reduction
to judgment discretionary .............................................................. 349
3. Time
that a monetary award may be reduced to judgment, i.e.,
when is a monetary award “due and owing?”