Rockville Divorce Law Blog

Celebrities enjoy many perks, but certainly have a difficult time keeping their love lives private. Maryland residents may have heard that recently, Jason Aldean, a famous country music star, has just filed for divorce from his wife of 12 years. The couple has two children together, who are 5 and 10 years old.

Asset division, child support, child custody and spousal support are all likely to be issues that this couple will need to address in order to terminate their marriage. High asset divorces can be particularly complex when they are exacerbated by the contentious issue of infidelity, which can cause a lot of unwanted media attention.

Readers of this blog may be familiar with previous posts documenting the new push in the state of Maryland to raise awareness about a pervasive threat that in the past was rarely spoken of in public. So much so, in fact, that it was referred to as the "silent epidemic." Domestic violence is now recognized as a very serious issue facing the residents of Maryland from all walks of life. Recently, this post has reported on how the state has been recognized as a leader in combating this difficult issue.

The Domestic Violence Center of Howard County has now announced that it will host a step show and basketball tournament to help raise awareness about this issue. It is specifically geared toward men and is designed to help them see the important and vital role they can play in stopping the cycle of violence. Women are frequently targeted in efforts to raise awareness about the issue, but, this time, it is men and boys who will be educated about the ways they can actively take steps to prevent domestic abuse from happening. Additionally, even though the victims of domestic abuse are largely women, men are also abused and need to know that there is help available for them as well.

An interesting family law case has just been decided, which involved a couple that was engaged in a contentious divorce case. The couple was litigating the issue of child custody in court. Maryland residents know that child custody battles can be highly emotional and draining to all parties involved. Sometimes, parents let their emotions get the best of them and say things they may later regret. Now, with the advent of social media, those comments that are made to each other may be recorded forever. They may also be accessible to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other individuals.

Recently, an appellate ruling was issued in a case that involved the issue of whether the judge determining the child custody matter could prohibit the husband from making certain comments to his wife through the social media website Facebook. The judge barred the husband from engaging in any communication with his wife on the Facebook website. The husband fought the ruling, claiming that the judge was violating his freedom of speech rights under the First Amendment of the United States constitution. The husband lost, and the ruling was upheld.

Recently, Maryland was honored in a speech by the Vice President for it's successful and innovative measures in combating domestic abuse throughout the state. The Vice President mentioned a program being utilized by law enforcement officials called the "lethality assessment program," which is used to assist law enforcement in focusing on the situations that present the highest potential for violence. By using this program, police throughout the state were able to identify and protect 25,000 high-risk victims of domestic violence and provide them with access to important services.

In fact, the program is now serving as a model for other similar programs throughout the country. In the four years between 2006 and 2010, the actual rate of crimes involving domestic violence actually dropped by 18.4 percent in the state of Maryland, which is a significant reduction during such a short period. Due to the success of these efforts, the U.S. Justice Department will now award $2.3 million to 12 cities and counties around the country to support new programs such as the "lethality assessment program". In his speech, the Vice President also emphasized the need to reauthorize the Violence against Women Act, which he originally introduced to Congress when he served as a U.S. senator.