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Parenting Agreement Advisable for Child Custody Arrangement
When married parents in Maryland make the decision to divorce, or if unmarried parents break up, it can be difficult to discern how to raise their child in separate households. While it may be difficult it isn’t impossible. There are certain tools at parents’ disposal to help with raising a happy, healthy child in separate households. One such tool is a parenting agreement.
A parenting agreement is a name given to a document that lays out the responsibilities, duties and rules that parents agree to when raising a child separately. Sometimes constructed during the child custody process, parenting agreements lay out a written agreement that outlines things like where a child will live, which parent(s) have legal custody and even how changes to the agreement will be handled in the future. These agreements are often in the best interests of the child.
This is so, because the better that parents communicate, generally, the better it is for the child being raised by parents in separate households. It can remove stress about what to expect from either parent and who has the decision-making power, if both parents cannot agree to do it together. Many things can be laid out in a parenting agreement — it can be custom built to provide a child with what they need specifically, especially in cases in which a child is extraordinary or needs special attention. There are many reasons parents and children alike can benefit from a parenting agreement.
How a Car Accident May Result in Carpal Tunnel
It seems like every Maryland commute brings another crash scene. The increase in drivers on already clogged roads is doing nothing to stop it either.
When you get into an accident, things that happen inside the vehicle may remain a mystery, even when the dust settles. The forces at play exert themselves in ways you could not anticipate until it happens to you. One thing that can develop post-accident is carpal tunnel syndrome. While it may not seem possible, learning how it happens may help you identify it should it happen to you.
The Hands During an Accident
Even if your accident was a minor one, you still experienced a disruption in your body. More than likely, your hands were on the steering wheel during the crash. As such, your hands absorbed some force. If your accident was more serious, this may result in pain and discomfort in the wrist and hands. If your airbag deployed, your hands were pushed off the wheel at the rate of 60 miles an hour. It is easy to see, therefore, how pain may result.
What Types of Divorce Exist in Maryland?
Deciding on divorce is something that does not happen overnight. Typically, many factors all lead to the same conclusion: the marriage is over. A repair is not possible.
Living in Maryland, you may want to know what options you have for ending your marriage. The rules set forth by the state legislature define the different ways a divorce can go, but there exist two main routes to sever a marital bond: absolute and limited.
What Is an Absolute Divorce?
When you know the marriage is over, you feel no need to continue in the relationship. You want property, assets, debt and child custody divided so you can continue in your life. When looking to legally end a marriage for good, you want to petition for an absolute divorce. When the court enters a final order, your legal binds will no longer exist, and you can remarry.
What Is a Limited Divorce?
If you do not necessarily want to completely sever your ties to your spouse, but you do want to get some issues legally straight while you spend some time apart, a limited divorce proceeding may do the trick. This is a legal separation where parties agree on the division of money and how other things may work, such as child visitation and custody. However, both parties remain legally bound under the law. A person who goes this route cannot remarry.
How Common Is Substance Abuse Among Truckers?
Many drivers across Maryland and the United States prefer to avoid traveling near commercial trucks whenever possible because they can be hard to see and navigate around, among other reasons. While sharing the road with semitrucks is dangerous even when truck drivers are consistent about properly following the rules of the road, it can prove considerably more so when the employees driving these vehicles are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Unfortunately, the American Addiction Centers report that substance abuse among semitruck drivers is far more common than you may like to believe. When truckers turn to drugs or alcohol while at the wheel, it has the potential to affect everything from their vision and alertness to a trucker’s ability to stop or gauge risks, which in turn means everyone else on the roadway faces increased dangers. So, just how much are today’s truck drivers turning to drugs or alcohol, and why is substance abuse such a prevalent problem in the industry?
Will New Tax Laws Affect My High-Asset Divorce?
If you are facing a high-asset divorce, then you are well aware of the financial stakes. Your future financial livelihood is at stake as you move through the divorce process, so you must be well-informed about all the different parameters that could affect the final outcome.
While financial matters are important to all couples going through a divorce, they become particularly critical for couples with high net worth. One especially important factor to keep in mind in your high-asset divorce is how tax laws will affect your divorce agreement. New tax laws make some significant changes, so you should be aware of how these new laws may affect the financial outcome of your divorce.
When Alimony Is an Issue
Alimony is often a crucial component of a high-asset divorce, and it is important to both the spouse providing alimony as well as the spouse receiving it. If you know that you will have to provide alimony payments after your divorce, the new tax laws will be of particular interest to you. In divorce settlements beginning January 1, 2019, spouses who pay alimony will be responsible for the taxes on the alimony payments. Up until now, the spouse paying alimony could take a deduction on the payment, while the spouse receiving alimony was responsible for paying the taxes on it. Since a high-asset divorce may involve a high alimony payment, this topic may be of particular relevance in your situation.
Symptoms of A Head Injury May Not Be Evident After a Crash
You may never have been involved in a car crash, but if you are, seek prompt medical attention, even if you feel fine.
Signs of a potentially serious condition may not show up right away. For example, until symptoms develop several days after the accident, there would be no reason to suspect a traumatic brain injury.
The Numbers
Head injuries are common in any kind of vehicle accident. According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the traumatic brain injuries reported in the U.S. are the result of falls and motor vehicle accidents. Broken down, car crashes cause about 286,000 such injuries each year.
About TBI
There are two forms of traumatic brain injury. Open TBI refers to an incident where a foreign object penetrates the skull and goes into the brain. Closed TBI, which is more common, results from a blow to the head. There is no open wound associated with this type of injury.
What to Do when A Dog Bites or Attacks You
A classic joke in cartoons is the antagonistic relationship between dogs and mail deliverers. While of course, this is rooted in truth, mail deliverers are not the only ones who face bites and attacks from canines. Your neighbor’s furry friend that you have known for years may end up being a danger to you or your children.
With spring here and the sunshine calling everyone outdoors, you need to prepare so you will know what to do if a dog bites or attacks you.
Get Medical Treatment
Your first worry should be to get medical treatment, especially after a vicious attack. Infection and rabies are the highest risks you face after a dog bite. If the wound is only broken skin, you can simply wash it, apply antibiotic ointment and place a bandage over it. Watch for signs of redness, swelling, oozing or continued pain, which mean you should see a doctor. Keep medical bills, reports and other documentation as evidence.
What to Expect at Your Relocation Hearing
Last week, we discussed in broad terms what happens when one member of a divorced couple decides to move away and the couple has minor children in common. This week, we’ll delve into what happens in the event that the non-relocating ex-spouse does not agree to the relocation request: a court relocation hearing.
At the hearing, the court will examine the current custody arrangement—which was originally drafted with the best interest of the child in mind. If one parent is planning to move to a location far enough away that it would inhibit visitation or shared custody by the other parent, then the court must consider whether the move is in the best interest of the child. There is no precise formula to determine what is best for a child, but some factors the court might consider are:
If You Move Away from Your Ex and You Have Shared Child Custody
You just landed your dream job! The only problem is, it’s in Virginia Beach. That’s a long way from Baltimore, where, your son and your ex-husband currently live. How does your move affect your child custody arrangement?
Under Maryland law, you can’t just up and move without getting consent from your ex or the court. The first thing you need to do is give notice of your move. Under most circumstances, you have to give your ex-spouse and the court written notice of your relocation at least 90 days before your move. There are a couple exceptions to this rule: If you can demonstrate to the court that providing such notice would lead to harm to you or your child, it’s possible that this requirement may be waived. Additionally, the court may show some flexibility with the 90-day notice if your circumstances require you to move sooner than that, but you make a good-faith effort to give as much notice as possible.
Three Common Driving Mistakes to Avoid
We may be getting smarter as a species, but we’re not becoming any safer at driving. At least that’s what the data says. In 2015, the number of traffic deaths in the U.S. spiked by 8 percent—the biggest jump in half a century. By 2016, that statistic increased again, resulting in more than 40,000 traffic fatalities. As 2017 draws to a close, let’s take some proactive steps to being safer on the road.
Traffic accidents are usually the result of human error, but which driving errors most frequently result in accidents? In this week’s post, we examine the three most common instigators of car accidents.
Driving Blind
When you drive without being able to completely see ahead of or around you—perhaps due to weather conditions, a blind curve in the road or another vehicle obstructing your view—and you assume the coast is clear, these are example of blind driving. Such mistakes account for about 12 percent of car accidents.
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