Until a few years ago, couples who wanted a "no-fault" or uncontested divorce in Maryland needed to be separated for at least twelve months before being granted a divorce. In 2015, Maryland introduced the concept of mutual consent divorce for couples who did not have minor children together. This allowed couples to get a divorce in a much shorter time, and eliminated the requirement that the couples live completely separately for an entire year. The Maryland state legislature has now extended the availability of mutual consent divorce to couples with minor children, effective October 1, 2018.

This website is powered by the Law Office of Shelly M. Ingram, LLC and it is intended to be a resource for people interested in mutual consent divorce in Maryland. We will help you understand how to file for mutual consent divorce, answer frequently asked questions, and show you how to make the most of mediation and collaborative services to obtain the written separation and property settlement agreement that a mutual consent divorce filing requires.

Advantages of Mutual Consent Divorce

If you qualify for a mutual consent divorce, you can save time, stress, and money. If you and your spouse are certain that you need to be divorced, getting a mutual consent divorce allows you to finalize the process and move on with your life much sooner and with less acrimony. Because the process is quicker, it is almost always less expensive, even with the help of an attorney or mediator. In addition, the fact that you and your spouse no longer need to live separately to be granted a divorce means that you can avoid the expense of maintaining two households during the interim stages of the divorce process.

Mutual consent divorce is an excellent option for many people. If you would like to learn more about mutual consent divorce in Maryland and whether it is right for you, we invite you to contact our attorney/mediators at info@mutualconsentdivorce.com.