A court may not require one spouse to pay the sole obligation of the other or to satisfy the joint debts of the parties (such as mortgages and taxes on real property or interest on joint promissory notes). However, if one parent gets the use and possession of a house or car, for example, the court can order the other parent to contribute to the mortgage or car payment. It's crucial to realize that a court order does not modify the contract the responsible spouse made with the lender, even if the court orders one spouse to pay the other spouse's debt. For instance, if the judge orders your husband to pay off a joint Lowes Card credit card in full but your spouse fails to do so, the creditor may pursue you for the full amount owed. After making a payment, you can petition the judge to order your spouse to reimburse you by filing a motion in court.

Divorce proceedings may be completed in a matter of months, or they could take a year or more. Disputed items, the city or county where the suit is filed, where you live and the reasons for divorce are just some of the attributes that can determine how long it will be before the divorce can be finalized. Most divorce cases are typically settled in about 12 months or less, on average.

In a Maryland divorce, judges don't always divide marital property right down the middle using a 50/50 split. Because Maryland is an equitable distribution state, the divorce court will divide property fairly between the spouses, but not always equally.

Before an absolute divorce can be granted in Maryland, the parties normally have to live apart from one another without cohabitating for a period of twelve months. There are some grounds for divorce, such as adultery, that do not call for a waiting time. If adultery is established, you can also receive a divorce quicker.

To get a divorce in Maryland, the grounds for the divorce must have occurred in Maryland, or at least one of the parties must have resided in Maryland for at least six months prior to filing.

Marital property in Maryland includes assets that belong to the marriage —to both spouses—rather than to one spouse or the other as separate property. Marital property includes real property (such as a home or land) that the spouses own as tenants by the entirety unless the spouses have a valid written agreement to the contrary. Marital property also includes any property either or both spouses acquired during the marriage. However, a court may exclude property from the "marital" category if one spouse acquired the property by gift or inheritance from a third party, or if the spouses have a valid agreement stating that the property is nonmarital. Property that either spouse acquired before the marriage is also considered the separate property of that spouse. And any property that is directly traceable to a separate property source remains separate property. For example, if one spouse owned a car before the couple married, then sold the car during the marriage to buy a pool table, the pool table would remain that spouse's separate property. (Md. Code Ann. Fam. Law § 8-201 (e).)

It varies in each county, however if you already have a complete Marital Settlement Agreement signed by both parties and the proceeding is uncontested, typically between 3 – 6 months.

A mutual consent divorce allows couples to file for divorce without a waiting period, provided they have no children together and have reached a settlement agreement on their divorce terms.