Maryland is an equitable distribution state which means the court will distribute marital property between you and your estranged spouse in a fair manner. You may have heard of Bitcoin, Zcash, Litecoin, and Ethereum as well as other forms of cryptocurrency but you still may be unsure of what cryptocurrency actually is. Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that can be purchased, sold, or exchanged. It is not an actual asset and they have no intrinsic value, thus making it difficult to measure their value. Cryptocurrency, if acquired during the parties’ marriage, is considered marital property.

Cryptocurrency poses difficulties in a divorce case as they are digital and not stored in a bank. Unless both parties know about cryptocurrency purchased during the marriage, it can be easy for one party to hide it from another. Hiding cryptocurrency is a common problem that many divorcing couples face. If you suspect that your spouse is lying about having cryptocurrency, your attorney has different options to help you track them down. These options include depositions, discovery, or hiring a forensic expert to help locate hidden assets.

It is illegal to hide assets in a divorce. If you have any questions about the divorce process or tracking down hidden assets, contact us today a (443) 741-2567 for a consultation.

There are new changes in Maryland divorce laws which will go into effect on October 1, 2023. These changes include:

1. Elimination of Limited Divorce. Under the current law of limited divorce, a couple could be married but living separately and file for a limited divorce. They could address issues of child custody, child support, alimony, and use and possession of the marital home. Starting October 1, 2023, parties will no longer be allowed to file for a limited divorce in Maryland.

2. Starting October 1, 2023, the following grounds will be eliminated for parties filing for an absolute divorce:

   • Desertion

   • Alimony

   • 12 month separation

   • Insanity

   • Excessive vicious conduct

   • Criminal convictions leading to jail time

Under the new law, couples will be able to obtain a divorce based on two grounds: 1) mutual consent and 2) irreconcilable differences. If you are planning ahead for a divorce and have concerns as to how the new legislation will affect your case, we are here to answer your questions.

“Nesting” during a divorce is when the parents take turns having their custodial time with their children in the family home and the parents themselves have separate places. Rather than the minor children going back and forth between two separate residences, they remain in the family home 100% of the time and the parents do all the rotating in and out of the family home.

What are the benefits of nesting agreements? Keeping the children’s environment and routine stable is often the top priority of many parents going through a divorce. Nesting is sometimes a favored option for some parents as it keeps the children’s school, after-school activities, neighbors, friends, etc. the same. Additionally, if either parent is not able to financially secure a new residence to accommodate the minor children, they sometimes choose to rent an affordable residence for themselves and keep the family home as the major housing cost. Nesting can also help parents that are going through a trial separation and gives them time to evaluate whether they really want to divorce and may help ease reconciliation.

Nesting agreements certainly come with their own challenges. It can be very emotional and challenging for both parents to move in and out of the family home continuously. Furthermore, if the parents are not able to secure an affordable second residence for themselves, it may end up costing the parties even more money to keep the family home. Nesting can also lead to other behavior such as spying on the other parent while they are in the house.

Determining whether a nesting agreement is an option for you and your family requires a lot of corroboration and understanding among the parties. Nesting is often very stressful and needs to be very carefully planned. If you have any questions regarding nesting agreements, please contact us at (443) 741-2567 and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your options.