Palmer, Raiford D.

Dorothy R. Fait is the founding partner of Fait, Wise & DiLima, LLP. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1977, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit in 1979. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland in 1973 and is a graduate of George Washington University.

Dorothy is a member of the Montgomery County, Frederick County, Maryland State and American Bar Associations, serving on and chairing a number of committees for each. She is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Womens Bar of Maryland/Montgomery County.

During her long and illustrious career, Dorothy has served as President of the Montgomery County Commission for Women, Commissioner of the Maryland State Lottery, and Commissioner for the Governor's Citizen's Commission on Crime Prevention.  Dorothy is a member of the Governors Task Force on Family Law and is currently a Bencher and past-President of the Montgomery County Inns of Court where she serves as the Membership Chair.  Dorothy was a Commissioner on the Maryland State Ethics Commission, from 2000 to 2005, was its Chair, and she was also Chair of the Montgomery County Spouse Abuse Task Force for many years.

Currently, Dorothy is serving as Legislative Chair on the Maryland State Bar Family Law Section Council and is a member of the Montgomery County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.

Dorothy's considerable commitment to her community has garnered her the Woman of Valor Award from the Greater Washington Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse in 2003, and she was named as one of Marylands 100 Top Women by The Daily Record in 2004 and again in 2007.  Law & Politics, a local publication, has named Dorothy one of the area's Super Lawyers in Maryland and in D.C. for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.  Also, Dorothy has been named a Maryland and DC Superlawyer for 2010.

Dorothy's reported cases include Sininger v. Sininger, 300 Md. 604, 479 A.2d 1354 (1984), a landmark case on the rights of adult disabled children; Dorsey v. Dorsey, 302 Md. 312, 487 A.2d 1181 (1985), concerning the law of gift between spouses; Wilson v. Wilson, 87 Md. App. 547, 590 A.2d 579 (1991), regarding the impact of out of state decrees on a pending domestic Maryland case; Weathersby v. Kentucky Fried Chicken Natl Management Co., 86 Md. App. 533, 587 A.2d 569 (1991) concerning standards for employment discrimination claims; Caldwell v. Caldwell, 103 Md. App. 452, 653 A.2d 994 (1995), concerning factors to consider in indefinite alimony; Geramifar v. Geramifar, 113 Md. App. 495, 688 A.2d 475 (1997), concerning equitable adoption; Crabill v. Crabill, 119 Md. App. 249, 704 A.2d 532 (1998), regarding whether the Court will consider part time employment in addition to retirement income in an alimony determination; Sczudlo v. Berry, 129 Md. App. 529, 743 A.2d 268 (1999), regarding imputation of income to people who fall outside of the Child Support Guidelines Income limits; Collins v. Collins, 144 Md. App. 395, 798 A.2d 1155 (2002), regarding military pensions and their divisibility in a divorce action; Richards v. Richards, 166 Md. App. 263, 888 A.2d 364 (2005), regarding monetary awards and equitable distribution; and Mills v. Mills, 178 Md. App. 728, 943 A.2d 677 (2008), regarding the revisory power of the Courts pertaining to Qualified Domestic Relations Orders.