Joint Property Statements in Divorce in Maryland

In a divorce in Maryland a very valuable requirement is disclosure in the form 9-207it is the joint statement of property. I have attached the excerpts from the rules below.

a) When required.- When a monetary award or other relief pursuant to Code, Family Law Article, § 8-205 is an issue, the parties shall file a joint statement listing all property owned by one or both of them.
b) Form of property statement.- The joint statement shall be in substantially the following form:

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. If the parties do not agree about the title or value of any property, the parties shall set forth in the appropriate column a statement that the title or value is in dispute and each party's assertion as to how the property is titled or the fair market value.
2. In listing property that the parties agree is non-marital because the property is directly traceable to any of the listed sources of non-marital property, the parties shall specify the source to which the property is traceable.

(c) Time for filing; procedure.- The joint statement shall be filed at least ten days before the scheduled trial date or by any earlier date fixed by the court. At least 30 days before the joint statement is due to be filed, each party shall prepare and serve on the other party a proposed statement in the form set forth in section (b) of this Rule. At least 15 days before the joint statement is due, the plaintiff shall sign and serve on the defendant for approval and signature a proposed joint statement that fairly reflects the positions of the parties. The defendant shall timely file the joint statement, which shall be signed by the defendant or shall be accompanied by a written statement of the specific reasons why the defendant did not sign.

(d) Sanctions.- If a party fails to comply with this Rule, the court, on motion or on its own initiative, may enter any orders in regard to the noncompliance that are just, including:
(1) an order that property shall be classified as marital or non-marital in accordance with the statement filed by the complying party;
2) an order refusing to allow the noncomplying party to oppose designated assertions on the complying party's statement filed pursuant to this Rule, or prohibiting the noncomplying party from introducing designated matters in evidence.

Instead of or in addition to any order, the court, after opportunity for hearing, shall require the noncomplying party or the attorney advising the noncompliance or both of them to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, caused by the noncompliance, unless the court finds that the noncompliance was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.

If you have question on the joint statement of property, please feel free to call me to discuss. 1-888-760-7339. I will answer your questions at no cost to you right over the phone.