Actual Law Post

I promised my next post would be about my law practice,not my quilting.    I was a little stuck on what to do then the universe intervened.

A little background.   I practice family law in Montgomery County, Maryland.   This covers divorce, custody, child support and protective orders.   Most of my practice is divorce or custody.   I focus on providing services to low income people because you really need representation in family law cases.  So much emotion is involved you just can't think straight.   One of the very first cases I did, I represented the mom.   The dad was self-represented.  We were at the temporary access hearing (it has a formal latin name but you don't care about that).   The Master asked him what schedule he wanted for a toddler.  Dad said he wanted a week on and a week off.   This is what most people who don't know the law think the schedule should be when they are asking for joint custody.   I don't know about other places but in Montgomery County that schedule is rarely ordered because it is too much time away from the other parent, especially for a toddler.   The Master said he wouldn't recommend that schedule.   He asked Dad to suggest another schedule.  Dad was so stuck on what he wanted, that he would not.   I mean he was told that he would not get that, but he would not change because he was so emotionally involved in that schedule.   Attorneys are not emotionally invested in any schedule, alimony amount, property division, (child support is a math formula that is rarely deviated from so no big fight there usually), etc.   We just want what we see as fair to our clients.  A judge says we aren't getting that, we can regroup and come up with an alternative.  So, I fashion my practice to help those who can't otherwise afford an attorney.

This weekend while getting ready for the Lion's Golf Tourney, I took a couple of minutes to read the local bar newsletter.   Buried in the back was an announcement of a free training on Protective Orders, U Visas (victims of domestic violence) and VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) cases.   All I have to do is agree to take 2 pro bono cases in the next 12 months.   Bwahahahahaha.   Yeah, no problem there.  The training is offered at our wonderful one stop shopping for domestic violence help Family Justice Center by two terrific organizations Catholic Charities and House of Ruth.   I interned with both during law school, although I was in the policy department of Catholic Charities working on human trafficking laws.

I do know what to do with protective orders.   But a training never hurts.   And we had some changes to the law this year.  Maryland finally joined the rest of the US and lowered the standard of proof for a final order to preponderance of evidence.   This easier standard may make it easier for people who really need a final order to get one.  

As for U Visa and VAWA, I know what they are, but that is it.  Looking forward to learning more.  New skills are a good thing.  

Looking forward to the training.   Glad the universe made sure I saw the ad and that I had an opening in my schedule when it was offered.   I'll let you know how it goes.