One issue you may wish to discuss with your divorce lawyer in Severn as you navigate your case is how becoming divorced will impact your taxes. The implication of a divorce can reach beyond simply changing your marital status on your tax returns. This video explains more.

If you are going through a divorce, you must still file as married if your divorce was not finalized on the last day of the year. Filing as head of household or claiming children as dependents can only be done by one spouse, so you should negotiate these terms through your divorce lawyers. Generally, you must have primary child custody to claim your children as dependents. Divorce lawyers can include information about tax rights in your divorce decree, including how custody of children affects the dependent deduction claim.

Frequently, the most difficult issue divorcing couples face is child custody. Deciding where the children will live, who has the authority to make important decisions about them, and how you will share the financial responsibility of their care can lead to disputes even in amicable divorces. Child custody lawyers near Severn can not only help you protect your rights as you fight for the custody you want but also ease conflict between you and your ex by acting as intermediaries. If you are facing a child custody dispute , here is what you need to know.

All Agreements Must Happen in Court

Although you and your spouse may have discussed child custody arrangements and even come to an agreement that works for you, custody is not truly set until the deal is finalized in a family law courtroom. That means that your spouse can arbitrarily decide not to abide by your agreement or demand changes to it without any legal recourse for you. It is essential to work with child custody lawyers throughout disputes and negotiations, so that you can ensure that all agreements go through the proper legal channels to avoid future complications.

Children May Have a Say

Courts are committed to make decisions that are in the best interest of the children, and they may welcome input from the children when resolving a custody dispute with parents and child custody lawyers. The weight the court places on what children say varies depending on many factors including age, maturity, reasons for preferences, and parents’ abilities to influence what their children request. Try not to involve your children in your dispute or interfere with your children’s relationship with your ex, as these actions could work against you in court.

Stability Matters

Often, courts act to keep children in the home that offers the most stability. For instance, if awarding custody to one parent means that the children would need to change schools, the court may opt to avoid that placement. Courts usually aim to put children with the parent that can provide a home where children can do homework, go to bed on a schedule, have meals cooked for them, and otherwise maintain a stable lifestyle.

Mistakes you make in your car accident lawsuit could cost you the compensation to which you are entitled. Before making any agreement after an accident, consult with a car accident lawyer near Severn. Your accident attorney can help you avoid missteps like these that could interfere with your case.

Talking About Your Case

While your case is being adjudicated, avoid discussing your case with anyone other than your car accident lawyer. Often, insurance agents, car accident lawyers working for the defense, and even jurors in your case may try to contact you, and anything you say could be used to dispute your claim. If anyone approaches you with questions, refer them to your attorney. Likewise, avoid discussing your case on your social media accounts or posting photos that could be used to minimize your injury. Setting your pages as private is not sufficient. Your attorney may suggest that you avoid any social media activity until your case is complete.

Throwing Away Evidence

Because car accident cases can take a long time to resolve, you may complete medical treatment before a ruling is made. In the interim, do not throw away anything related to your care, including empty pill bottles or old casts. These items can all be used as evidence of the severity of your injury, and without them, your claim may be more difficult to prove.

Having an Insurance Medical Exam

Insurance medical examinations are common after car accidents. The insurance company of the person at fault for the accident may require you to have one of these exams at a doctor they choose. Although doctors who perform these exams are supposed to be independent, they are frequently actually linked with the insurance company and are hired to say you are not injured. If you are told by an insurance company that you have to have one of these exams, call your auto accident lawyer. You may not be able to avoid having an insurance-sanctioned exam, but your lawyer can help you lay the right groundwork to dispute the findings if necessary.

During a divorce, alimony may be awarded to one spouse to help him or her transition financially to life after marriage. To be eligible for alimony, your divorce lawyer in Severn must request it before the divorce is finalized. You cannot go back and request alimony after the divorce case has ended. Should your divorce lawyer request alimony on your behalf? Here are some of the factors divorce courts consider when making decisions about alimony payments.

Ability to Self-Support

The court will consider your ability to support yourself after the divorce. To determine if you are able to sufficiently support yourself, your divorce lawyer will present evidence about your education and work history, particularly if you did not work during the marriage and have been out of your field for an extended period of time. If you need further education to be able to support yourself, the court may award rehabilitative alimony to provide support for the period of time it takes you to complete your education. After you are done, the alimony payments will end.

Length of Marriage

Courts seldom award alimony for short marriages, but it is more of a consideration in longer marriages. Long-term couples are likely to have developed a certain lifestyle through cooperation and collaboration over the course of their marriages, and the court may wish to ensure that both couples continue to enjoy these benefits after severing their relationship. Couples in long marriages are also likely to be older, which can impact their earning potential, making alimony a potential solution.

Physical and Mental Health

The physical and mental health of both spouses will be considered by the court when awarding alimony. If a physical or mental health issue prevents you from working, you may be eligible to receive alimony payments from your spouse. This is called indefinite alimony and has no pre-set ending point. However, this alimony may be stopped if your ability to support yourself changes or you remarry. Your family lawyer must present evidence of your health problem to earn this kind of alimony.