Schlaich & Thompson, Chartered

$250B

Family Law - Alimony and Divorce

Former husband contested his wife’s award of rehabilitative alimony. The trial court granted an absolute divorce, division of marital assets, rehabilitative alimony for the wife ($2,500 per month for 24 months), and retroactive alimony for the wife ($2,500 per month for 18 months). The husband appealed, and the appellate court affirmed the trial court’s judgment, upholding the alimony award.

Family Law - Alimony

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals revisited the issue of indefinite alimony in the case of K.B. v. D.B. The trial court initially awarded the wife rehabilitative alimony for a fixed period. The wife appealed, arguing for indefinite alimony due to age, lack of comparable earning potential, and long-term economic dependence. The appellate court remanded the case for further proceedings, emphasizing the need for specific factual findings regarding income, employment prospects, and post-divorce lifestyles to determine if the disparity in living standards would be 'unconscionably disparate'.

Family Law - Child Support Modification

The case of Walsh v. Walsh involved a child support modification request. The original divorce decree from 1990 required the father to pay $40.50 per week per child and half the mortgage. In 1992, the mother bought out the father's interest, ending his mortgage obligation, and sought to increase child support. The circuit court rejected the increase, and the Court of Special Appeals affirmed. The Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the trial court to determine if the cessation of mortgage payments constituted a 'material change in circumstances' sufficient to modify the child support order.

Criminal Law - Promoting a Criminal Organization

The Maryland Supreme Court heard arguments in Jamal Antione Williams v. State of Maryland regarding whether the defendant 'promoted a criminal organization' by standing next to a codefendant who spray-painted a gang symbol. Prosecutors argue for a broad interpretation of 'promote' with mens rea, while defense argues for a narrow interpretation targeting leaders. The case is a test case for the state's gang promotion law.