Grounds for Limited Divorce in Maryland
There are two types of divorce that you can file for in Maryland: absolute divorce and limited divorce. There’s no such thing as legal separation unlike in other states. In an absolute divorce, the marriage permanently ends which allows for remarriage, and any property claims are also terminated. But if you and your spouse are living apart and intending to end the marriage, a limited divorce could be filed with the help of a divorce or family lawyer in Baltimore, MD. However, conditions need to be met to file one.
Under certain circumstances, you’ll need residency requirements before filing for divorce. If the grounds for divorce didn’t occur in the state, you’ll have to wait for half a year before initiating the divorce. But if both spouses reside in the state, there’ll be no waiting period.
Limited Divorce
If a couple needs to be supervised for their separation by the court, they could take limited divorce as legal action. However, this case doesn’t end the marriage in the meantime. This case is usually used by couples who:
- Don’t have grounds yet for absolute divorce.
- Are in need of financial relief.
- Are unable to settle things privately.
In order to obtain a limited divorce in Maryland, you’ll have to meet the requirements for residency, grounds, and other legal laws needed for the procedure. But limited divorce isn’t required when filing for absolute divorce.
Most people call this a legal separation. When the court has ordered limited divorce, spouses are not divorced permanently. A limited divorce may be for a limited time only or indefinite. In addition, spouses may ask the court to allow them to revoke the divorce at any time. The grounds for limited divorce consist of:
- Both parties are separated and live in different places.
- Abuse or cruel treatment against the other spouse or child.
- Desertion
- Excessively vicious conduct
When it comes to legal matters, hiring a divorce or family lawyer in Baltimore, MD is a must to provide you with actions to take before, during, and after filing a limited divorce.
Absolute Divorce
If you are planning on remarrying in the future, an absolute divorce should be filed to end the marriage. A decree of absolute divorce is a formal order to end the divorce proceeding. Once the proceeding is complete, both parties will no longer inherit any properties from one another. If a property is owned by both spouses, it will be divided.
Additionally, one of the spouses may ask the court to renounce their former name. The court may also decide how to deal with issues of alimony, the division of marital property, and custody and support if there are children.
The grounds for absolute divorce are:
- Mutual consent
- Adultery
- Imprisonment for crime
- Insanity (with conditions)
- Desertion (with conditions)
Any adult can enter into a marriage, but not everyone can simply file for divorce. Instead, the divorce law sets out some conditions and requirements called grounds that should be met.If you have filed for limited divorce while you and your spouse have long been separated, it’s quite likely that you’ll both eventually file for an absolute divorce. If you don’t know how limited divorce or absolute divorce would work out for you and your child, if you have one, you may need to work with an experienced divorce or family lawyer in Baltimore, MD such as Fast Divorce Lawyer.