Posted on August 11, 2022 in Family Law

El final de un matrimonio, no significa el final completo de obligaciones que de este devienen. Si bien a nadie le asombra continuar arreglando pagos de manutención de hijos, muchas personas se ven sorprendidas por como un divorcio no necesariamente marca el final de todo vínculo con un ex y descubren con desconcierto que, todavía, tienen que seguir "manteniendo" a su antiguo cónyuge.

La decisión de un juez de otorgar una cuota de manutención (enlace en inglés) a un exesposo/a es independiente de la división de bienes maritales. Tampoco debe confundirse a la cuota de manutención de hijos con la de excónyuge, si uno de los cónyuges recibe una cuota por sus hijos se sobreentiende que es para ser usada solo para gastos de los niños. Sin embargo, las cuotas de manutención de hijos y de cónyuge sí tienen mucho que ver ya que el juez, para determinar el monto de manutención de cónyuge, tendrá en cuenta si uno de los padres tiene la custodia de un menor.

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 Posted on August 05, 2022 in Criminal Defense

When you get your prescription filled, you assume that you're the only one who's ever going to use the medication. After all, it's for treating a very specific ailment that you're dealing with, and that's why you got the prescription from the doctor in the first place.

But you later find out that someone else claims to have a similar ailment. Maybe it's a family member or a close friend. They bring this up after you've already stopped taking the medication, but you still have a few pills left over that you forgot to throw away. Your friend asks you if they can just have those pills because it might help them, as well. Can you give them away?

This may sound helpful, but it is illegal

It's very important to point out that sharing prescription medication is actually illegal. The only way that these drugs can be consumed legally is when the person who has the prescription is the one using them. Even then, they still have to follow the directions and they can only use so much at a time.

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 Posted on July 26, 2022 in Criminal Defense

Los que viven cerca de Washington DC frecuentemente viajan entre Maryland y Virginia durante su día. Estos estados tienen leyes muy diferentes, y los crímenes se castigan en manera diferente también. Si usted vive cerca de la frontera, es importante saber las sanciones que podría enfrentar por manejar bajo la influencia de alcohol en los dos estados.

Las leyes de Virginia

En muchas áreas, Virginia se conoce como uno de los estados con las leyes más severas, y esto incluye las sanciones por manejar bajo la influencia. Por ejemplo, en Virginia el juez mandará que usted instale un alcoholímetro (enlace en inglés) en su auto aun si fue su primera ofensa.

Las sanciones dependen del criterio del juez y de las circunstancias. Por ejemplo, si estaba acompañado por un menor en el auto mientras manejaba bajo la influencia, las sanciones suben considerablemente. Las sanciones podrían incluir perder la licencia por un tiempo, tener que pagar multas costosas, y hasta pasar tiempo en la cárcel.

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 Posted on July 08, 2022 in Family Law

If you're a parent who is getting divorced, determining your custody rights is one of the most important things you can do. You need to split up the time that the children spend with each of you and then create a plan to co-parent after the divorce.

There are many different ways to do this, and we'll take a look at two below. Please note that the age of your children and how well you still get along with your ex may play a big role here.

Traditional custody exchanges

The standard way to exchange custody is simply to create a schedule for the children. Both of the parents have their own homes or apartments. The schedule dictates which residence the children live in at the time. The length of these visits may differ dramatically. Some people trade the children back every few days, while others will switch back and forth every week. But the parents always stay in the same homes and the children move in and out.

Bird-nesting exchanges

With bird-nesting, the opposite is true. The children never have to leave the singular home where they live. The parents are the ones who are bound by the schedule. They move in and out of the house that the children are in. This can be more expensive since each parent also needs to have a place to live when they don't have custody. But it can also be more stable for the children and may put less stress on them.

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 Posted on June 23, 2022 in Construction Law

Litigation is a risk in any industry, and construction is no different. While you can never guarantee it will not happen to you, there are things you can do to reduce that probability.

The first thing is to understand where it might come from. The short answer is almost anywhere. Clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, employees, the general public or governmental agencies could all find a reason to sue.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

Maintain high safety standards

You are less likely to face an injury lawsuit when you prioritize safety. Remember, your duty is not just to those working on your site. You must also consider those who pass by, have reason to visit, or even in some cases, trespass. Your liability does not stop once your work is finished either. If something you build later injures someone, that too could land you in court.

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 Posted on June 23, 2022 in Criminal Defense

There are multiple situations that could result in someone's arrest for impaired driving. If you get behind the wheel after having too much to drink, police officers might stop you, arrest you and then charge you with a crime.

Police officers identify drunk drivers through several different approaches. Drivers in Virginia and Maryland can find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system after they experience one of the three police encounters below.

Getting into a car crash

Everyone involved in a car crash will be at risk of arrest afterward if there is evidence that they broke the law. You don't have to cause the accident to be subject to a police officer's scrutiny after a collision.

Many police officers will automatically require testing of those involved in a crash to determine if impairment played a role. Even if you are not at fault, if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is over the legal limit, then a police officer can arrest you at the same time that they issue a ticket to the driver who caused the accident.

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 Posted on June 22, 2022 in Criminal Defense

If you live close to state lines, you probably cross them frequently. Hence, if accused of stealing something, it is crucial to understand the rules applicable to where the alleged event took place.

States generally determine the crime based on the value of the property taken, although the use of weapons or violence could make your situation much worse.

Maryland has five categories of theft

The least serious is petty theft, where the value does not exceed $100. The punishment will not exceed a $500 fine and 90 days in prison. The most serious category is felony theft, where the value exceeds $100,000. It could lead to 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. In addition, you may have to compensate any merchant you are judged to have stolen from – up to twice the property value in some cases.

Virginia calls theft larceny

The least serious crime is petit larceny which is a misdemeanor. This applies when less than $5 was stolen directly from a person or less than $200 was stolen indirectly. It can lead to up to 12 months in jail and up to $2,500 of fines.

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