Practice Areas

The Law Offices of Ellen L. Lee provides a comprehensive array of family law and litigation services throughout Maryland. Our areas of expertise include:

Divorce

Maryland has generally two types of divorce, both governed by separate legal grounds:

• Limited divorce is an action in which a couple’s legal separation is supervised by the court. While the court can rule on issues concerning children, alimony, spousal support, and use and possession of the familial home, in a limited divorce the couple remain legally married. Limited divorce is typically a good course of action to take in cases where the parties do not have grounds for an absolute divorce.
• Absolute divorce covers all the issues involved in the divorce, and ends in a legal dissolution of the marriage, leaving the former spouses able to remarry should they so wish. Grounds for an absolute divorce in Maryland include adultery, a voluntary or two-year separation, conviction of a crime, or excessively vicious conduct.

Child Custody, Child Support, & Visitation Rights

Child custody, support, and visitation arrangements can prove some of the most contentious and complex aspects of a divorce. We approach these issues with compassion and understanding, advising our clients on their rights and addressing any concerns they may have.

To learn more about this aspect of our practice, please visit our child support guidelines page.

Marital Property Distribution

Maryland is an equitable distribution state, meaning that if the parties cannot arrive at a mutual agreement as to how their assets and debts should be divided, the court will divide marital property in a manner that it deems fair. In determining how property will be distributed, the court considers several factors, such as the value of the assets, the economic circumstances of the parties at the time of distribution, and how and when certain marital property was acquired.

Spousal Support

In Maryland, if the parties cannot agree on the amount of spousal support or alimony, the court will consider a variety of factors to determine a fair and equitable award. These include the ability of the spouse requesting alimony to become self-supporting, the standard of living while the couple was married, and a range of other factors.

Separation Agreements

Filing for legal separation is distinct from divorce in that it does not terminate the marriage contract. Legal separation does, however, allow the parties to resolve issues, such as property division, spousal support, child custody, visitation, and child support. Filing for separation may also streamline the process of resolving disputes in a subsequent divorce proceeding.

Premarital Agreements

Premarital agreements, also known as prenuptial agreements, allow couples to determine, prior to the marriage, how property division, spousal support, and child custody arrangements will be decided in the event of divorce, separation, or death of one of the spouses. A premarital agreement must be entered into voluntarily by both parties, and can help avoid lengthy and contentious divorce proceedings later on.

Domestic Violence

One of the grounds for divorce in Maryland is cruelty of treatment to the complaining party or to the minor child of the complaining party. We have extensive experience representing husbands and wives in domestic violence cases and with obtaining and opposing restraining orders.

For a committed, knowledgeable, and experienced family law attorney, contact the Law Offices of Ellen L. Lee for a consultation today.