Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland

Re: Legal Separation after 30 Years

You certainly cannot receive houskeeping services from you. I would, however, strongly advise you to acquire your own counsel to protect your home equity and pension from an unfair distribution.

Re: Legal Separation after 30 Years

What your wife is asking for, and what she is entitled to, is a division of marital assets, not continuing support from you. Marital assets include everything you and/or she have acquired during your marriage, which includes your home equity and your pension, automobiles, bank accounts, gifts to each other, and all other assets except those acquired by one of you by gift or inheritance from a third party. If she is asking for continuing support in addition to a division of assets, that is alimony. Generally alimony is only ordered by the court in rare circumstances where a wife (or husband) is unable to be self-supporting because of age, ill health, or a lack of job skills. Your question doesn't indicate whether your wife has been employed outside of your home during your marriage, or whether she is able to support herself. But in any case she will not be expected to provide you with housekeeping services, or any other kind of services, after a separation or divorce. Your question does not make it clear whether your wife's attorney is suggesting that you sign a separation and property settlement agreement or whether your wife has filed for a limited divorce, which is a legal separation ordered by the court. If a separation agreement has been proposed, I would suggest you retain a lawyer to read it over and advise you on whether the division of assets is equitable and in accordance with the law. If she has filed for a divorce, I would strongly advise you to retain a lawyer to represent you.