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Ending a marriage is rarely easy, but sometimes it is necessary for one or both spouses to move on with their lives and build a happier, healthier future. The Maine Divorce Group was established to help families through these difficult transitions.
We understand that each divorce is unique, and we’ll work with dedication and compassion to find the best solutions for your situation. From collaborative divorce options that can save time and money, to tough negotiation tactics for contentious property division cases, our Maine family law attorneys are prepared to advocate for you and your needs.
Click on the text in each circle to learn about the typical Maine divorce process and how an attorney can assist you at each step.
Divorce is a highly emotional and stressful experience for most people. But you don’t have to face this challenge alone. Having a strong divorce attorney in your corner can help ensure that you and your children walk away from this process with the best opportunities available for future success and happiness.
The team at The Maine Divorce Group assists clients in all areas of family law, from high-asset divorces to paternity disputes. We also have attorneys with extensive experience in criminal law and personal injury practice, allowing us to offer comprehensive representation for all your legal needs.
Bill is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2004 and Rutgers University, where he graduated with honors in 2000, majoring in Political Science. He genuinely cares about his clients and as a good listener, is able to help the client blaze a trail out of the wilderness of their problems.
Attorney Thomas L. Richard has significant experience representing Maine parents facing the difficult challenge of navigating Maine’s child protection system.
Laura received her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish & English with a minor in psychology from Skidmore College and received a Masters Degree in Social Work from Rutgers College in New Jersey. During her earlier post-undergraduate years, Laura worked in a variety of fields from legal to sports marketing, eventually finding herself running one of the largest grant programs in the state of Maine as the Executive Director.
Mia Gauthier joined the team at The Maine Divorce Group in 2019. We’ll have more to share about Mia soon.
Amanda Kelly joined the team at The Maine Divorce Group in 2021. We’ll have more to share about Ashley soon.
We are committed to helping Maine residents improve their lives by resolving tough family and divorce challenges in a fair and efficient manner. We treat every client with deep respect and personalized attention because we know they deserve the best legal guidance available, every time.
M.C. v. B.L. (Protection from Abuse)
I represented a female client with two minor children in…
Divorce
Divorce was granted, and our client was awarded generous rights…
Excellent law firm.
Thank you for providing the best lawyer services in Maine and achieving the results I wanted. Keep up the great work!
They were very professional and the services provided to me were beyond my expectations. I was able to leave the issues in the hands of Mr. Bly and not only did he provide excellent service, but went above and beyond on my case. The outcome was better than I could…
Honest and fair practice. Treated me right, from the first point of contact until completion.
This team is the best around! Very professional , caring and involved. I would highly recommend their services to anyone in need. Very prompt at answering questions and you’ll allows get a personal experience while calling them. Thank you guys for making our situation a lot easier.
Every person at this firm was exceptional. I would highly recommend them. They more than exceeded my expectations and made a very stressful situation much easier to handle. I cannot express my gratitude enough!
Contacted Attorney Bly for a consultation on a sensitive issue. His staff is wonderful and caring and extremely attentive with their contact. Attorney Bly was extremely helpful with his guidance and recommendation for my case. He listened to what I had to say and made excellent suggestions for a path…
Good communication and very knowledgeable.
Excellent Attorney! Highly recommended.
If you are separating or getting divorced in Maine, it can be challenging to think clearly, get the right advice, and take the right steps so that you (and your children) are in the best possible position to move forward with your lives.
Maine has some of the highest divorce rates in the U.S., so what is happening to you has unfortunately happened to many others before you.
There are many decisions to make – and most are not easy. It helps to have trusted and dependable lawyers fighting for your best interests so that you can plan ahead with the peace of mind that the legal matters are taken care of.
At The Maine Divorce Group, we help separating or divorcing couples move forward without the expense, delays, and stress of a courtroom battle.
Our Maine family lawyers can help you take care of all domestic and family-related issues that may present legal problems for you.
While matters concerning divorce and separation take up a large proportion of the time, other matters concerning domestic violence, civil protection order proceedings, parental alienation, adoption, guardian ad litem, and child abuse/neglect are also areas that we regularly assist with. We can also help you draft marital agreements (prenups and postnuptial agreements).
Principally in divorce and separation cases, we can help you solve the following key issues:
Where family law matters cannot be settled by collaboration, negotiation, mediation or arbitration, litigation remains an option.
In Maine, a couple can separate long-term without getting divorced. This means that the spouses live apart and are legally separated but remain married.
Divorce ends a marriage and the couple move on with their lives separately from a legal standpoint.
Legal or “judicial” separation (as it is generally termed in Maine) sometimes has advantages over divorce. However, it requires settlement on most of the same issues as a divorce, such as property division, child custody, spousal support, and so on.
Some people want to remain married for religious or ethical reasons or to retain healthcare or insurance benefits. Others want a trial separation period before finalizing matters with a divorce.
In Maine, if you are legally separated, you will receive a decree of judicial separation. You are still legally married but bear in mind that the Internal Revenue Service considers you “unmarried”.
Grounds for divorce are the legal reasons that you state for seeking a divorce. If you cannot state a valid reason, you will not be granted a divorce in Maine.
Unlike in the majority of states in the U.S., Maine retains two main categories of grounds for divorce:
This is the most common category. With this type of ground for divorce, no proof of fault, misconduct or wrongdoing is required. The couple agrees to part because of “irreconcilable differences” in the marriage.
This is left deliberately vague but it is not enough to be unhappy in the marriage. You must state that you and your partner are unable to get along and there is no reasonable prospect of the situation changing. That usually involves a communication breakdown and regular disagreements.
If one spouse does not agree that the differences in the marriage are irreconcilable, the court can order both spouses to attend counseling.
Many states do not now allow fault-based divorce because it is seen as encouraging blame, disputes, and increasing the potential for litigation and court time being wasted.
Wrongdoing must be proven in court, and may include the following:
The fault-based grounds for divorce outlined above could also lead to the “irreconcilable differences” that are the basis of a no-fault divorce.
If you have specific reasons for proving misconduct of your spouse, you may opt for the fault-based option but the vast majority of people in Maine choose a no-fault divorce. It is considered less time-consuming, expensive and stressful for all parties involved, including the children.
Fault-based divorces are now effectively discouraged by the court system in Maine as a spouse’s misconduct is not a factor if a judge needs to decide on issues concerning alimony, division of marital property, etc.
In Maine, you cannot file for a judicial separation or divorce unless you have lived apart from your spouse continuously for a minimum of 60 days.
This usually means living in a separate home but if you can prove that you are not living as a married couple (e.g., sleeping and eating separately, separate bank accounts, etc.), it may be adequate.
Most divorces in Maine require a wide variety of issues to be resolved but the following four are generally the main ones:
If you are fortunate, you and your spouse may be able to resolve these issues through discussion and negotiation. In many cases, however, legal assistance is required to help resolve issues.
Even if the separation is amicable and you can resolve the differences between you, the divorce or separation agreements should be drafted professionally by a lawyer before being submitted to the court for approval to avoid legal issues with your divorce.
The division of property and debts in the marital estate is nearly always an area of intense discussion and dispute in a divorce or judicial separation in Maine. It helps to receive legal advice and to understand the legal rules when negotiating with your partner.
Bear in mind that Maine, unlike some states in the U.S., is NOT a community property state. This means that in a divorce, marital property is NOT automatically divided equally (50/50) between spouses.
Instead, the standard of equitable distribution is applied by the Maine courts. This means that property must be divided fairly between the spouses. “Fairly” is a subjective term that allows a high degree of discretion from the judge, who will consider many factors before deciding on the division.
In particular, each individual’s contributions to the marriage, earning ability, and needs will be assessed before a determination is made. If one spouse has been guilty of wasting marital assets or other financial misconduct, this will also be taken into account.
As an example, the Maine courts may award approximately two-thirds of the marital assets to the higher-earning spouse and one-third to the lower-earning spouse but this varies greatly depending on your specific circumstances.
The courts in Maine assess and divide only property that is part of the marital estate.
Certain assets like anything owned before the marriage or inheritances/insurance payments for injuries received during the marriage are considered exempt from division.
Many people are unaware of the fact that there…
Knowledge of the family law system in Maine helps you…
Divorces are never pretty, but some circumstances are likely to…
The attorneys at The Maine Divorce Group understand how emotional and complex the divorce process can be and we are here to help.
Call to speak with a member of our team today, who can discuss your case and set up a consultation with one of our attorneys.
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ship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors; therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. By providing certain contact information herein, you are expressly authorizing the recipient of this message to contact you via the methods of communication provided. We are part of The Maine Criminal Defense Group.
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