Gardner Law Firm, P.C.

03/03/2022

Six issues that can make a judge think a parent is less qualified to take care of the children.

It's important during divorce.

10/24/2021

Covid has caused families to stay home for lengthy periods, which means that the normal distractions of life are not there. This has exposed any fissures or cracks in your relationship, and has spawned many separations and divorces.

If that has happened, our firm is here to help by assisting you in reaching an amicable agreement that will enable both spouses to move on with a minimum of rancor and disagreement. And if litigation is necessary, we have the tools to help with that.

On the other hand, if you still think you can work together to reconcile the problems, you need to have a candid discussion with your spouse about why you want to separate. It could be a lack of emotional support, financial support, the stress of finances. There are many reasons. If you cannot talk candidly, then a counselor can help. But your first effort should be to talk candidly about the issues in your marriage. Then, even if you break up, there is a much better chance of resolving the marital issues amicably, than by litigation.

10/14/2021

Sometimes a spouse uses the children as a weapon, cutting the other parent off from contact while a divorce is pending.

The courts can help.

10/11/2021

Here are some of the most common reasons why couples split.

Does this describe you?

10/08/2021

Here are 3 ways to defend interests in a company during divorce.

It might be difficult.

03/21/2021

The courts in Maryland are reopening for live hearings. They will prioritize criminal trials so trials will be delayed longer than normal. If you have a court case, the best thing to do is file asap and get it scheduled early. Once jury trials resume, they will take up much of the courts' dockets and squeeze out civil and family cases.

10/24/2020

Zoom is the new normal. The courts are now holding all scheduling and pretrial hearings, uncontested divorces and various evidentiary hearings via zoom. It means that lawyers have to prepare their exhibits, premark and submit them in advance. And it means we all have to become familiar with our laptops and the technology. And advance preparation and time management are critical because the courts are now playing catch up and have to limit our time in court. Bear this in mind when you look for an attorney or prepare for an upcoming hearing. It takes an experienced attorney to guide you through this process.

01/20/2020

I just finished watching "A Marriage Story" on Netflix. It will be seen at the Oscars because of the talent of the actors and the poignancy of the story. But as a legal drama, it serves as a terrible indictment of the legal system and the lawyers involved in it. Unfortunately, many members of the public believe that lawyers act badly, based on what they see in movies like this. While I have encountered a small number of lawyers who take cases out of the hands of their clients and behave unethically in court, that is extremely rare. A good divorce lawyer should always work with his client to ensure that the client approves everything that the lawyer is doing. The best result in court is achieved when the lawyer and client work in partnership to achieve the clients goal, and where the client is fully informed of the risks of trial, of what to expect the court can do, and approves all of the positions taken in court by the lawyer. If you watch "A Marriage Story" it will become apparent that none of this was done - leading the couple down an ugly path that any good lawyer will want to avoid. Enjoy the movie!