Atkinson Law

Atkinson Law Full service neighborhood law firm serving Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, and surrounding areas.

Criminal Defense
Protective Orders
Family Law
Estate Planning
Wills

05/26/2026

Memorial Day has passed — but for some people in Baltimore County and Harford County, the consequences of the weekend are just beginning.

If you or someone you know was charged with DUI over the holiday weekend, don’t wait and don’t assume the case is airtight.

Attorney Lesley Atkinson published a guide covering exactly what’s at stake after a Maryland DUI arrest — and what an experienced defense attorney can actually do about it:

✅ Was the traffic stop even lawful?
✅ Were field sobriety tests administered correctly?
✅ Are there Constitutional violations that could suppress evidence?
✅ Are there medical explanations for alleged impairment?

For veterans and military personnel, the stakes are even higher — a DUI conviction can affect security clearances, base driving privileges, and career advancement.

Every DUI case is fact-specific. The outcome often depends on details the average person would never know to question.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments).
📞 Call Attorney Lesley Atkinson today: 410-882-9595

05/14/2026

You were a passenger. The drugs weren’t yours. But now you’re facing a possession charge.

This happens more often than most people realize in Baltimore County and Harford County — and being in the car does not automatically make you guilty.

In Maryland, prosecutors use a theory called “constructive possession” to charge passengers even when drugs were found under a seat, in a console, or in someone else’s belongings. But to make that charge stick, the State must prove you knew the drugs were there AND exercised some control over them.

That’s where many of these cases fall apart.

Attorney Lesley Atkinson just published a detailed breakdown of the most effective defenses for passengers charged with drug possession, including:

✅ Mere presence is not enough — proximity alone doesn’t prove possession
✅ Lack of knowledge — if you didn’t know, the State may not be able to prove intent
✅ No dominion or control — especially when drugs were in another person’s belongings
✅ Illegal traffic stop or search — if your Fourth Amendment rights were violated, evidence may be suppressed

Don’t assume the case against you is airtight. Many passenger possession cases can be challenged successfully.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments) and share it with anyone who needs it.

📞 410-882-9595 | Confidential consultations available.

05/12/2026

It starts with shovels. Then a parking space. Then a shove.

And before long, police lights are flashing across an icy parking lot in Dundalk, Towson, Bel Air, or Aberdeen.

Most people never expect to be charged with assault over a neighborhood dispute. But in Maryland, criminal charges don’t require a fistfight or an injury. Sometimes all it takes is one heated moment.

Attorney Lesley Atkinson just published a must-read blog on exactly how these situations spiral — and what to do if you find yourself facing charges after a neighbor dispute, parking lot confrontation, or snow-related argument.

A few things that might surprise you:

⚠️ In Maryland, you can be charged with assault even if no punch was thrown and no injury occurred
⚠️ A peace order is not “just paperwork” — it can affect your job, your fi****ms rights, and your criminal case
⚠️ Ring cameras and cell phone videos don’t always tell the full story — but they can be used against you

If you’re dealing with assault charges or a peace order in Baltimore County or Harford County, early legal representation makes a real difference.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments) and share it with anyone who needs it.

📞 410-882-9595 | Confidential consultations available.

05/11/2026

Have you been served with a peace order in Baltimore County or Harford County? Or do you suspect there may be an active warrant for your arrest?

Either situation can move faster than most people expect — and waiting is one of the costliest mistakes you can make.

Attorney Lesley Scott Atkinson just published a straight-talking Q&A guide covering exactly what to do:

❓ What is a peace order and what can it actually do to you?
❓ What happens at the final hearing — and what if you don’t show up?
❓ What does an “unserved warrant” mean, and is it still active?
❓ Can you get ahead of a warrant before police show up at your door?
❓ How are peace orders and criminal charges connected?

The answers are in the blog — and they’re written in plain English, not legalese.

If this is your current situation, don’t wait. Read the full blog (link in comments) and call us for a confidential consultation.

📞 410-882-9595 | Serving Baltimore County and Harford County.

05/05/2026

When a loved one passes away, the last thing most families expect is to be handed a stack of legal obligations.

But probate — the court process of settling an estate — is something most Maryland families will face at some point. And without knowing how it works, it’s easy to make costly mistakes.

Attorney Yollette Atkinson just published a complete guide to the Maryland probate process, covering:

📋 What probate actually is and when it’s required
🗓️ The 5 key steps from filing to final distribution
🏠 What a personal representative is responsible for
💰 When a simplified “small estate” process may apply
⚖️ How an attorney can prevent delays, disputes, and costly errors

Whether you’re currently navigating an estate or just want to understand what lies ahead for your family — this is a great resource to have.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments) and share it with someone who may need it.

📞 410-882-9595 | Atkinson Law serves families throughout Maryland.

04/23/2026

Probate is one of those things that’s easy to put off — especially when a family is grieving and overwhelmed.

But in Maryland, waiting too long to open probate can create real problems:

🏠 Real estate stays titled in the deceased’s name and can’t be transferred or sold
🏦 Bank accounts remain frozen, leaving beneficiaries without access to funds
📄 Creditor deadlines become unclear, potentially exposing the personal representative to liability
⚖️ Tax filing deadlines don’t wait

Maryland doesn’t set a hard statutory deadline for filing probate — but courts expect personal representatives to act within a reasonable time. Waiting without justification can invite court intervention and conflict among heirs.

Our latest blog walks through the real pros and cons of delaying probate in Maryland, what deadlines to be aware of, and when it makes sense to get started right away.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments).

04/21/2026

Did your loved one live out of state but own property in Maryland?

If so, you may need to open probate here in Maryland — even if the estate is already being handled in another state. This is called ancillary probate, and it’s more common than most people realize.

Some real-life examples:

🏡 A vacation condo in Ocean City owned solely in the deceased’s name? Maryland probate required.
🏠 A rental property in Baltimore titled individually? Maryland probate required.
🏦 A small Maryland bank account with a beneficiary designation? May not require probate at all.

The rules depend on how the property is titled — and getting it wrong can mean missed tax deadlines, court rejections, and months of added delay.

Atkinson Law’s latest blog walks through exactly when Maryland ancillary probate is required, how the process works, and how it may be avoided with the right planning in place.

Out-of-state executors and families dealing with Maryland property — this one’s for you.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments).
📞 410-882-9595 | Atkinson Law assists families throughout Maryland.

04/15/2026

Quick question: if someone wrote out their will by hand and signed it — is it valid in Maryland?

The answer might surprise you.

Handwritten wills can be valid in Maryland — but ONLY if they’re also witnessed by at least two people. No witnesses? It almost certainly won’t hold up.

And even a properly witnessed handwritten will tends to face more scrutiny in probate than a formally drafted one — raising questions like: is this the final version? Are all the pages here? Did the witnesses sign correctly?

Atkinson Law’s latest blog breaks down what Maryland law requires, why handwritten wills are harder to probate, and how authenticity gets proven if the will is ever challenged.

If you’re looking at a handwritten will and wondering whether it’s valid — read this before the probate process starts.

📖 Link in comments.
📞 410-882-9595

04/13/2026

You created a trust. Documents signed, notarized, filed away. ✅

But did you actually fund it?

This is one of the most common — and costly — oversights in Maryland estate planning. Creating a trust is only half the job. If your assets were never legally retitled into the trust, the trust doesn’t control them. And when the time comes, your family could still end up in probate — exactly what you were trying to avoid.

Our latest blog walks through real-life scenarios showing what happens when a Maryland trust isn’t properly funded:

🏠 A home never deeded into the trust goes through probate anyway
👶 Assets meant to stay protected for minor children get distributed at 18 — not 30
💳 An unfunded trust can also create problems during incapacity, not just at death

A trust without assets in it is like a safe with nothing inside.

The good news? This is completely fixable — and a simple trust funding review can save your family significant time, expense, and stress down the road.

📖 Read the full blog (link in comments) — and if you already have a trust, ask yourself: is it actually funded?

📞 410-882-9595 | Atkinson Law serves families throughout Maryland.

04/07/2026

Thinking about putting property or assets into a trust before you sell them?

Before you do — it’s worth understanding what a trust actually does (and doesn’t) accomplish in that situation.

Here’s what most people don’t realize:

📌 Transferring assets into a revocable trust in Maryland does NOT change your income or capital gains taxes.
📌 It CAN help your estate avoid probate — even if the asset is later sold, the proceeds remain in the trust.
📌 Whether it’s cost-effective depends heavily on your timeline, your other assets, and your overall estate plan.

Atkinson Law just published a detailed breakdown of exactly when this strategy makes sense — and when it doesn’t — with Maryland-specific considerations on transfer taxes, recording fees, and probate costs.

If you’re weighing this decision right now, this is the blog to read first.

🔗 Link in comments.
📞 410-882-9595 | Consultations available at our Baltimore and Bel Air offices.

04/03/2026

🐰 The Easter Bunny always has a plan. Does your family?

This time of year, we're thinking about baskets, egg hunts, and getting together with the people we love most. It's also a good moment to ask a question most of us put off:

Do the people you love know what your wishes are?

Without an estate plan in Maryland, the court steps in to answer that question for you. Attorney Yollette Atkinson just published a guide to the essential documents every Maryland family should have in place:

🥚 A Last Will and Testament — so you decide who receives your assets, not the state
🧺 A Trust — to protect and manage what you leave behind for your loved ones
🐰 A Power of Attorney — so someone you trust can step in if you can't manage things yourself

Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy. It's for anyone who has people they care about.

With Easter just days away, it's a fitting time for a fresh start. Read the full blog (link in comments) and take the first step.

📞 410-882-9595 | Confidential consultations available.

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7516 Belair Road
Nottingham, MD
21236

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