Michael G. DeHaven
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Towson, MD
The founder of his eponymous law firm, Michael G. DeHaven now focuses his practice exclusively on divorce and other family law matters. Based in Towson, Maryland, he represents clients throughout the greater Baltimore metropolitan area. Mr. DeHaven has been admitted to practice before all Maryland state courts since 1990.
As an undergraduate, Mr. DeHaven attended Frostburg State University, majoring in political science and history and graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science. He then pursued his legal education at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and in 1989, he was awarded his Juris Doctor. After graduation, Mr. DeHaven joined the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted criminal cases. He then entered private practice, and while he was at a large law firm, he defended clients in cases involving defective products and premises liability before switching his focus to family law.
Many of Mr. DeHaven’s family law clients are people whose marriages have come to an end, and he works with them in attempting to come to an accord on such matters as custody and other parenting time matters, property division, and spousal and child support. He encourages them to handle these issues through negotiations, but if that does not seem to be possible and litigation becomes necessary, he is a forceful courtroom advocate on their behalf. Other family law matters that Mr. DeHaven has handled have included the preparation and review of prenuptial and postmarital agreements, and he has represented victims of domestic violence in their quest to obtain protective orders. He participates in several professional and community organizations, and he has received an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 90%Family Law
- 10%Criminal Defense
Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Juvenile Law, Prenuptial Agreements, Marital Property, Same Sex Family Law, Assault & Battery
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2015 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Michael G. DeHaven
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About Michael G. DeHaven
Admitted: 1990, Maryland
Professional Webpage: https://mgdehavenlaw.com/attorney-bio/
Honors/Awards
- Perfect rating (10/10) from AVVO
- Our Firm was named a 2018 winner for Best Law Firm in the Family Law Division. , Reader Rankings Best Family Law Firm Winner, The Daily Record, 2018
- Maryland Super Lawyer, Family Law 2015 through 2020
- I received a rating of "preeminent" from my peers. , AV, Martindale-Hubbell, 2016
Bar/Professional Activity
- Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association
- Baltimore County Bar Association
- Maryland State Bar Association (Family & Juvenile Law Section)
Educational Background
- Frostburg State University, with Majors in Political Science & History; served in the SGA; Social Chairman of the Kappa Zeta Chi Athletic Fraternity; and was President of the Rugby Club, 1986
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- I was honored to have been asked by the Montgomery County Bar Association to join Judges Albright and Acosta, as well as several distinguished Montgomery County practitioners, in a presentation on how to admit various forms of electronic evidence. , Speaker, Social Media Admissibility , Montgomery County Bar Association , 2018
- On April 10, 2018 I presented to my peers on the topic of Hearsay Objections and Exceptions., Speaker, Applying the Rules of Evidence, NBI Seminars, Legal, 2018
- On December 4, 2015, I will have the privilege of working alongside esteemed lawyers, a retired Judge and an IT guru to help other lawyers understand the evidentiary issues that arise when a party attempts to introduce social media, email or text messages into evidence. , Speaker, Admissibility of Electronic Evidence, NBI , 2015
- On November 28, the Honorable Leo Ryan and I gave a presentation on how to admit various forms of electronic evidence in a seminar sponsored by the Baltimore County Bar Association Negligence Committee., Speaker, How to admit social media, Baltimore County Bar Association , Legal, 2018
- On March 16, 2016, I had the pleasure of working alongside a former colleague, Judge Mickey Norman, teaching other lawyers about the hurdles one needs to clear when attempting to introduce various forms of social media into evidence. Judge Norman was one of the best trial lawyers I have ever seen, and showed his impressive talent in analyzing recent case law on a topic that is ever evolving, and one which divorce litigators in particular need to understand. I'm grateful that Judge Norman was my mentor when I was a young lawyer, and still follow the advice he gave me 25+ years ago., Speaker, Continuing Legal Education, Baltimore County Bar Association, Family Law Committee, 2016
- On May 19th, the Maryland Daily Record published an excerpt from an article that I wrote explaining the procedural requirements for admitting electronically stored information into evidence. As a divorce litigator, I routinely need to try to have a court consider such evidence, particularly print outs from social media websites, and thought that fellow members of the bar would benefit from my experience, Author, How to admit social media posts into evidence, The Maryland Daily Record, 2016
- Presentation to fellow lawyers at the request of the Baltimore County Bar Association Family Law Committee. Initially, the focus was to be on the admissibility of electronic evidence that often arise in divorce/custody proceedings, but ultimately the topic expanded to include "tips" that I learned over the past 27+ years., Speaker, Tips on How to Prepare to Introduce Evidence , Baltimore County Bar Association, 2017
- A seminar on common mistakes that lawyers make in attempting to admit electronically stored information into evidence., Speaker, How to Admit Electronic Evidence, National Business Institute
Pro bono/Community Service
- Immaculate Conception School - Board of Trustees , 2018
- Greater Jacksonville Association, former member of the Land Use Committee
- Carroll Manor Recreation Council
- Martin J. Smith Foundation
- Immaculate Conception Parish
Industry Groups
- Maryland State Bar Association's (Family & Juvenile Law Section); Baltimore County Bar Association;
Last Updated: 1/4/2021