JGL Principal David Bulitt and renowned Family Law practitioner spoke with Angela Stribling’s nationwide radio show Pillow Talk, streaming now on YouTube.
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Exactly three years ago on August 31, 2020 – JGL LAW FOR YOU was created to bring you up close and personal with our lawyers who will be discussing how to navigate the many legal processes, developments in the law, other current events, and how they may affect you. We welcome you to join us for our season 3rd season of JGL Law For You, Stay Tuned!
JGL Principal Tim Maloney represents the Prince George’s County airport in their zoning amendment efforts to allow the redevelopment of this airport.
Timothy Maloney, the lawyer for the airport, called the Maryland Supreme Court decision “an extremely important decision for the future of land use development in Maryland in an Article that appeared in The Daily Record.
JGL Principal Lindsay Parvis was featured in the August 24, 2023 issue of The Daily Record in an article entitled “Grappling with the Resistant Child in a Custody Dispute.”
Here, various aspects of child resistance and alienation are discussed in relation to a child’s rejection of a parent in contested custody matters.
Divorce in and of itself is an emotional, challenging and life changing process. Individuals going through divorce experience higher rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic ailments.
Mental illness, substance abuse, insomnia and depression also increase during the course of and subsequent to a divorce. And that is just the adults. The statistics for children of separation and divorce are staggering – increased depression, anger, anxiety, loneliness, impulsive behaviors and acting out – just to name a few.
Children of divorced parents can find themselves isolated as they often have difficulty keeping and maintaining friendships. In this day and age of smartphones and social media, that isolation can prove particularly harmful and destructive.
I have been representing folks going through separation and divorce for almost 37 years. I have litigated and tried countless custody matters in many of Maryland’s counties and the District of Columbia. When I am involved in a case where parents are fighting over their kids, I often relate a courthouse story from the early 1990’s. I was representing a father of three children who had spent more than a year of contentious and ferocious litigation with his spouse. Unable to decide for themselves where their children would live and who would make decisions for them, the miserable journey was about to culminate with a three-day trial before a local circuit court judge. At 9:30 in the morning, our judge (I have changed his name for the purposes of the story) entered the courtroom and sat behind the bench, banged his gavel and peered down at the parents, their lawyers and several potential witnesses seated in the gallery behind. He then gave a brief speech that I remember – almost word for word – to this very day. “Folks,” he said, “my name is Judge Theodore Jones. I was appointed by the governor to this circuit court bench. I am paid by the State of Maryland to hear cases and make decisions. Today and for the next three days, I will start at 9:30 in the morning, break for an hour between 12:00 and 1:00 in the afternoon for lunch and then return each day until 4:30 pm at which time we will stop these proceedings. During those eighteen or so hours, I will listen to the two of you, your lawyers and your witnesses. When it is all over three days from now, I will retire to my chambers, think about what I have heard for maybe a half hour or so, then come out and render my decision. A decision that will affect your lives and the lives of your children probably for the rest of their lives. When I am done, I will leave here and go out and hit a couple buckets of golf balls, and probably never think of the two of you or children – ever again.”
Once he was sure that he had our attention, the Judge finished with this: “Now you can let me make this decision – the decision I am paid to make or you can take the next few minutes, speak with your lawyers and see if the two of you – the parents of these children – have the common sense to put your heads together, stop being selfish, and decide yourselves what is best for your children. If not, I’ll be back shortly and will do it for you.”
I won’t say whether the Judge’s monologue resulted in these two folks settling the case. As heavy handed as it seems, it most certainly got their attention. After all, I don’t think any parent had children thinking they would leave decisions regarding those children to a stranger in a black robe.
Since it is unlikely divorce is going to end anytime soon, I very much doubt that differences of opinion and conflict over parenting are likely to recede either. If the divorcing couple is willing to see the other parent’s perspective – whether they agree with it or not – and not just be willing, but dedicated, to find a way to communicate and work through those differences, they can minimize the adverse effects of the divorce on their children.
Here are just a few tips designed to assist separated or divorced parents in navigating the complexities of co-parenting from different households:
- Recognize that you won’t agree on everything. If you did, you likely would not be separating or getting a divorce in the first place.
- Consider having the entire family – parents and kids alike – get support from mental health professionals who have experience working with families going through separation and divorce.
- Hire an experienced family lawyer who understands the intricacies of developing a Parenting Plan.
- Be realistic in terms of the amount of time that you are able to solely parent. For example, if you are a full-time worker with travel obligations during the week, it is not likely that you will be able to manage a week-on-week-off access schedule for the children and you may need to practically consider other ways to maximize your off time with them.
- Try to establish achievable and understandable schedules and routines for your children.
- If possible, both parents’ households should include comfortable spaces for the children that they consider “theirs.”
- Talk to your children about the separation in a way they will understand. Tell them you love them.
- Try to establish a firm procedure that allows for significant decisions to be made without undue delay or harm to the children. In other words, where the two of you have agreed to “joint custody” be sure to address how decisions are to be made when there is disagreement. Does one parent have tie-breaking authority? Do the parents work with a mediator to decide or consult with an expert in the particular area of dispute? There are any number of ways to handle this process, but it most definitely needs to be discussed and should be included in the Parenting Plan.
- Finally, your Parenting Plan should be malleable. Children are not static creatures. They grow and change as do their needs and their desires. Today it might be best for a child to live primarily with one parent but in three years, there may have been changes in the family dynamics and that child would be better served by living primarily with the other parent. Your Parenting Plan should include provisions that presume and plan for these possible changes.
While separation and divorce can be an arduous and formidable process, we as parents can try to make it less so for those members of our family who did not ask for it and can often be caught right in the middle – our children. Do what parents are supposed to do – help them.
“Telling Your Employees How to Travel to Work? A Cautionary Tale for Knowing Your State and Local Requirements,” HR.com
In an article published on August 21, 2023 in HR.com’s Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence section, Brian Markovitz discusses how understanding state variances in travel time laws is vital for employers to ensure compliance and prevent legal repercussions.
“Before issuing a travel time policy, employers should know their state and local legal and regulatory requirements. Depending on where the travel time is taking place, that time could very well be compensable work, especially if the employer takes any part in deciding how it occurs.”
To read the full article, click here (PDF).
August 17, 2023 – Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. is pleased to announce that 13 of its attorneys have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and an additional attorney has been named to the 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers has earned the respect of the profession, the media and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in more than 75 countries.
Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., is a trusted law firm serving Washington, DC, and the suburban Maryland area. For more than 50 years, JG: has represented a variety of clients, including individuals, small businesses and multimillion-dollar corporations. From simple to complex legal needs, the attorneys of JGL are prepared to deliver strategic solutions with high standards. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at jgllaw.com.
JGL principal David Bulitt provided content for the MSBA Legal Summit Series.
Here you can find his presentation, entitled We Don’t Have Time, We Make Time | Maryland State Bar Association – MSBA
JGL Senior Counsel Michal Shinnar was quoted in the Baltimore Sun commenting about the controversial meme previously shared about the death of George Floyd three years ago.
Maryland State Police Corporal Jason Oros’ meme was texted to members of the task force he helped supervise, a mere eight days after George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis officers. This sparked an internal investigation that lasted three years, and eventually allowed Oros to retire receiving full retirement benefits. Shinnar called the meme degrading and offensive and particularly egregious.
The Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) elected David Bulitt to their Board of Directors on August 7, 2023.
CASE is a nationwide organization that offers mental health services and educational resources for all members of the adoption and foster community. For more information about CASE can be found on their website www.adoptionsupport.org
JGL was recognized as one of the Maryland law firms that has 100% participation in membership.
Suit filed in federal district court this week by Joseph Greenwald & Laake, P.A. on behalf of plaintiffs
Joseph Greenwald & Laake, P.A. (JGL) today announced that it recently filed a lawsuit in federal district court (District of Columbia) against the United States Secret Service and U.S. Park Police – including their leadership – alleging numerous egregious violations of the Fourth Amendment rights of their clients, Yasmeen Winston and India Johnson. Winston and Johnson are represented by JGL partner Tim Maloney, senior counsel Drew Laframboise and associate Bridget Cardinale.
The lawsuit arises from an incident at the National Mall during the summer of 2020 in which Secret Service officers rammed Ms. Johnson’s car, detained her and Ms. Winston unlawfully, and pointed loaded rifles at their heads, all predicated on a faulty belief that they had stolen a car. The complaint alleges severe violations of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, and includes several accusations of excessive force, as well as practice and pattern violations and a history of excessive force by both agencies.
“Beyond the physical assault our clients experienced, there’s a profound emotional impact that accompanies such an outrageous violation of personal rights and dignity,” explained Tim Maloney and the lead litigator on the suit. “No person should ever be subjected to such wanton disregard for their constitutional rights. We intend to shine a light on these egregious abuses, with the hope that no other individuals will ever have to experience such deep-seated trauma at the hands of those who are supposed to protect us.”
More details and a PDF copy of the complaint are available here (PDF). To schedule an interview with Maloney and the plaintiffs, please contact Barbara Lauterbach at blauterbach@jgllaw.com with your request.
Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., is one of the most trusted law firms serving Washington, DC, and the suburban Maryland area. For more than 50 years. The firm has represented a variety of clients, including individuals, small businesses and multimillion-dollar corporations. From simple to complex legal needs, JGL is prepared to deliver strategic solutions with high standards. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at jgllaw.com.