Maryland divorce on the grounds of vicious and cruel behavior has changed somewhat in the past few years. In the Maryland case of Das v. Das the court broadened the definition which would permit a granting of an Absolute Divorce in Maryland beyond the historical necessity of proving physical abuse. The court in Das, which did include physical abuse, never the less appeared to expand the unacceptable behavior to include mental abuse. Mrs. Das was subjected to a very controlling environment which included restrictions on her contact with friends and family. She was forced to stay up all night to listen to Mr. Das talk and was treated to a great extent as if she were a servant.
Additionally, it would also appear that the court was not inclined to look favorable upon Mr. Das as he had taken the parties minor child to India and refused to return her to Mrs. Das as ordered by the court. It would appear therefor that to obtain an Absolute Divorce on the sole grounds of vicious and cruel conduct the moving party must show, at least under Maryland Divorce, that the behavior complained of was especially gruesome and not as would be typical for any couple in the run up to a divorce. If you are looking for divorce lawyer in Annapolis, contact our team as soon as possible.