Service With Substance

Custody matters are understandably emotionally loaded, and are often unpredictable. What constitutes the "best interest of the child" is often subjective, and can differ from judge to judge. Our attorneys offer a strategic advantage by considering the issues from your child's point-of-view and using our experience as Best-Interest-Attorneys (a child's legal representative) to understand how the court may evaluate the situation.

We regularly deal with all custody-related issues:

• Legal custody (i.e. decision-making authority)
• Physical custody
• Access & visitation schedules
• Child support determination

All child support and certain alimony awards may be modified based on "material changes in circumstances" or by any terms agreed to by both parties in writing. Modification cases are reliant upon an analysis of the most likely outcomes in court based upon existing and known financial information.

We'll help you assess potential modifications based on:

• Income determinations, including "phantom" income (i.e. unreceived taxable gains) and deferred compensation
• Evaluating and proving reasonable and necessary expenses for your standard of living

Pre- and Post-Nuptial agreements help define the terms of financial matters before and during a marriage. These agreements help provide you and/or your spouse peace of mind that inheritances, heirlooms, businesses, trusts, or assets acquired before the marriage will be protected in the event of a separation or divorce.

With a pre- or post-nuptial agreement, we'll help you:

• Protect non-marital property (including direct & indirect business interests, trusts, and inheritances)
• Define which assets and/or property are considered marital and non-marital
• Predetermine how marital property would be divided in the event of separation or divorce
• Predetermine or waive alimony (i.e. spousal support) in the event of separation or divorce

Often, a person's or couple's most valuable asset is their home and other owned real estate or land. For unmarried couples living together, real property and cohabitation agreements help set clear expectations regarding home ownership and related expenses to ensure a harmonious home life.

We frequently draft property and cohabitation agreements to:

• Define how property will be co-owned, both legally and financially
• Determine how to cover on-going maintenance as well as unexpected expenses
• Pre-determine property ownership in the event of a break-up

During or after a divorce or separation, co-parents sometimes need the help of an independent third-party to reach joint decisions regarding their children. Maryland and D.C. law empowers Parent Coordinators, through a joint agreement or court order, to make certain decisions when the co-parents are unable to agree, or to make recommendations in the event of an impasse. Working with a Parent Coordinator can help keep you and your co-parent out of costly litigation with a creative problem-solving approach. Unlike traditional legal counsel, communications with a Parent Coordinator are not privileged.

Emily Gelmann, our certified Parent Coordinator, can help co-parents:

• Overcome impasses on major legal custody decisions
• Establish communication protocols between co-parents to reduce conflict
• Allocate resources for your child's needs
• Help make temporary or minor changes to custody & access schedules
• Ensure consistent rules & boundaries for children between homes
• Manage a child's social media & technology usage

Often referred to as a "restraining order," a Protective Order is a court-issued civil order preventing one person from contacting another, usually issued in the case of an alleged assault or attempted assault. Protective Orders can be common in high-conflict divorce or custody cases, and are a vital tool to help protect you and your children in volatile situations.

We can help you navigate the Protective Order process, and are experienced with how an order may impact numerous issues, including:

• Use and possession of your home (regardless of how it's owned or who is on the title/lease)
• Custody determinations
• The ability to communicate with the opposing party
• The ability for a person to own firearms
• Obtaining or maintaining Security Clearances
• Potential or ongoing Child Protective Services investigations

Pilar Nichols has decades of experience defending clients in criminal matters, whether they be alleged traffic violations or more serious criminal charges that could impact the rest of your life. There can also be criminal charges linked to protective orders. Pilar's experience as a prosecutor provides an insider's knowledge of the criminal court system.

Our criminal defense practice includes defending against alleged:

• Traffic violations
• DUIs
• Assault
• Robbery

When you and the other party in a case don't live in the same state or country, there is often a question of where the case should be heard (i.e. which locale has "jurisdiction"). Depending on the type of case in question, different rules can apply, and are often not clear-cut.

We can help ensure your case is heard in the appropriate jurisdiction based upon various factors, including:

• Where each party lives
• How long you or your children have lived in a state or country
• If residency in a state or country was intended to be temporary
• If one or both parties are residents of a different state or country as a result of employment (e.g. military deployments, foreign service, international employment, etc.)