“I’m getting married to a man that has been previously married. His wife is presently collecting child support from him. She will probably take him back to court to ask for an increase in child support. Under Maryland law, is she entitled to come after my income once I’ve married her ex-husband?”

For the rules specific to Maryland you would need to consult a Maryland attorney - and you should. Under the law of California, where I practice, your income could not be factored in unless there were exceptional circumstances, such as your new husband quit his job so that he could claim no income, while you supported him.

Some states, however, will let the court take a new spouse’s income into account, while others don’t take the new spouse’s income into account directly, but they do factor in the fact that the support paying parent now has access to the new income, or may have their own expenses reduced by his new spouse’s income.

Again, your best bet would be to consult an attorney in Maryland, and before you get married, in case there are ways in which you need to and can protect yourself at the outset.

Request a confidential divorce or family law case evaluation with an attorney in your area right now! Don’t delay! Time wasted can have a serious impact on the outcome of a family law case!


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State laws vary, and the above is intended as general advice, and not direct legal advice regarding any one particular situation in any one state. For direct personal legal advice related to your own situation you should consult an attorney familiar with the laws of your state and with your situation.