Cedulie Renee Laumann

Attorney Cedulie Laumann is the managing attorney and founding member of small law firm in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The firm handles real estate, small business, and estate/trust matters.

She enjoys helping clients reach positive solutions to their legal needs. Her firm employs innovative "flat fee" billing arrangements and fee options outside the traditional hourly based approach.

"Legal Answers & Representation Relevant to YOUR needs!"

• General Civil

• Free Consultation
  10 minute no-cost free phone consult. Call 410-216-7000. We can answer many quick questions for free, or browse our website for common answers to deed, trust and other questions. Or schedule a private, in-depth consultation (1hr - 1.5 hrs) with Managing Attorney (10-20 years experience) for a flat $300 consult fee for most matters. 100% of the paid consult fee is applied towards estate planning
• Credit Cards Accepted
  Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express Credit cards are only accepted for attorney fees, not for any government fees, third party fees or taxes.
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  10 min no cost initial consult by phone or email. Flat fee consultations for up to 1.5 hour attorney meeting. Flat fee billing option for most matters we handle, including Estate Planning (Trusts, Wills, etc.), Business Formation (LLCs, etc.) and Real Estate (Deeds, contracts, etc.) See our pricing guide on our website for representative fees or call us. While all the firm's clients are given clear understanding of fees up-front, this list is not a promise to represent, some situations may require additional work and no attorney/client relationship is formed unless we meet and both agree.

Maryland

Since 2003

managing attorney

Arden Law Firm, LLC

Current

Adjunct Faculty

St. Joseph's University

Current

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

Honors: Order of the Coif Top 10% of Graduating Class

Maryland State Bar

Member

2003 - Current

Q. Seeking help to recover towed car, tow bill over $3000, in Maryland after assault incident.

March 24, 2025

A: That sounds like a very challenging situation. Unfortunately a tow company often has the legal right to charge per day fees for vehicles they legally tow, even though on a personal level such fees may work a significant financial hardship.

You might consider reaching out to the Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service (MVLS) which aims to match attorney volunteers with persons of limited financial means who need legal assistance in certain areas of law. https://mvlslaw.org/free-legal-help/ Alternatively, you might contact the Harford County Community Mediation Program at 410-638-4807 to try and set up a free mediation session with the tow company -- although it sounds like they were unresponsive to your requests, if the tow company agrees to mediate, you might be able to explain your situation in front of a skilled mediator and work out a resolution.

While not legal advice I hope that this information helps. ... Read More

Q. Seeking pro bono custody assistance in Maryland for seeing children.

March 24, 2025

A: Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service (MVLS) offers legal assistance through volunteer attorneys to persons of limited means. You can contact MVLS through their website https://mvlslaw.org/free-legal-help/ or by phone at 410-547-6537 (Mon-Thurs).

Additionally, the Circuit Courts offer pro se family law help clinics where volunteers assist with selecting and filing out appropriate family law forms for free (although they will not represent at a hearing).

For Baltimore County, this service is offered Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland 21204

In Baltimore City, attorneys volunteer to help fill out forms Monday - Friday between 9:00a.m. and 4:00pm. To meet with an attorney at the Baltimore City Courthouse, sign up at the Sheriff’s station near the Family courtrooms on the 1st floor of the Cummings Courthouse

I hope you find this general information helpful. ... Read More

Q. Finding exemption codes for deed transfer in Maryland from mother to son

March 24, 2025

A: Deeds in Maryland usually trigger state transfer, recordation and county transfer taxes. The Maryland Annotated Code, Tax Property article, section 12-108 lists exemptions from state transfer tax. Exemptions from recordation tax are listed in 13-207. County transfer tax exemptions vary county-to-county (for example in some Maryland counties a parent/child transfer will be exempt from state but still have county transfer tax) but can be located in each county's local code.

That said a perhaps more significant threshold question is understanding your mom's reasons for transferring her home now. Parents who transfer property late in life might learn to their surprise that they triggered an obligation to file a gift tax return with the IRS (assuming the property is worth more than $19,000). Children can be shocked to discover that a lifetime deed unwittingly set things up for significant capital gains taxes that would not have applied if the property was transferred another way. This is because lifetime gifts do not get a "stepped up" basis. An attorney can help discuss other options such as a Trust or Life Estate Deed that could avoid probate without increasing potential capital gains taxes.

Your post notes that you are transferring your mom's property (not your mom). Generally, the current owner is the only person that can initiate a gift deed to others. While in very limited situations with express authority an agent might be able to create a planning deed or transfer to trust, the normal rule is that an agent under a power of attorney cannot ordinarily gift themselves or other family members property.

All that said, you and/or your mom are strongly encouraged to consult with an attorney before making a lifetime transfer that could result in unnecessary taxes down the road. While not a substitute for personal legal advice I hope this general information helps. ... Read More