Focused on Family Law
Balcerzak & Bartlett: Law Firm in Columbia, Maryland
Our practice focuses on sensitive family law issues such as divorce and child custody disputes. We help our clients negotiate and settle their differences, rather than escalate emotions in protracted, expensive litigation.
Using the team approach of collaborative law when possible, we encourage our clients to avoid the adversarial combat of litigation by forging mutually agreed-upon settlements. This negotiation process gives participants increased control over the outcome, producing constructive settlements that are more likely to be durable. This process is often less expensive, time-consuming and emotionally draining than traditional divorce.
To schedule an appointment with a lawyer experienced in collaborative law, call Balcerzak & Bartlett at 410-290-6600. You can also contact us online.
For more than 25 years, our firm has guided clients in Columbia and surrounding counties through a wide array of difficult family law disputes, including the following:
|
|
We Understand Your Concerns
Anyone facing divorce has many questions about the legal process and their legal options. What will happen to my kids? How will the court treat me? How will I manage financially? How long will the divorce process take and how much will it cost? We answer your questions in a straightforward manner so you can make informed decisions.
If you have any questions we feel we are not qualified to answer in areas such as post-divorce financial planning, we will refer you to trusted resources that can provide answers. We will also direct you to mental health therapists who will help you acquire coping skills and methods to get you and your children through a difficult time.
Divorce in Maryland
Maryland has multiple grounds for divorce, two of which do not place blame or fault on either of the parties. In a "no-fault" divorce, couples must either have had one year of mutual and voluntary separation or two years of living separate and apart. Fault grounds include adultery, abandonment and cruelty, among others.
Issues that often arise during divorce include those relating to property division and child custody. Maryland is an equitable distribution state, meaning marital property is distributed based on fairness and equity, not subject to any automatic formula. In Howard County, courts refer couples in a litigated child custody and visitation case to a parenting class. Courts also mandate couples to attend two sessions of mediation. We will discuss with you, and prepare you for, the mediation process.
Call Balcerzak & Bartlett at 410-290-6600 for an appointment with an experienced family law attorney. You can also contact us online.