Family Court - Baltimore County

Filing Requirements    Orders

Hearings
Scheduling     Settlement Conferences
Length of Wait Before Hearing
Emergency Hearings     Who Will Hear the Case

Scheduling
Hearings are always scheduled automatically in pro se cases and cases with an attorney.

Settlement Conferences
The court will hold a settlement conference in cases with an attorney or pro se.

Length of Time to Get a Hearing
Advocates say that the wait time can be anywhere from two weeks to many months, and that opting to be heard before a master will not always guarantee a faster track.

Emergency Hearings - Pro Se Litigants
The circuit court suggests that a pro se litigant file for an emergency hearing, making sure to be specific about why the need for an emergency hearing exists. The Motion stands no chance of being granted unless they show that there is endangerment of health/welfare. The litigant can also ask for an ex parte hearing, which amounts to an order. Ex parte is nearly immediate, while emergency is just faster than the regular course of things. Ex parte is only for one issue alone (ex: custody, visitation, support). Litigants may file both motions.

It is not generally possible to see a judge the same day the emergency petition is filed, unless there are domestic violence issues. In that case, the litigant should file a specific domestic violence petition.

Advocates opine that it is nearly impossibly to get an emergency hearing, even with an attorney. It is possible to get an ex parte hearing the same day.

Who Will Hear The Case
If a case is uncontested it is likely to go before a Master, as it will if it is on temporary issues, custody, visitation, support, use and possession or temporary alimony. If it is contested on the merits or likely to last longer than one day, it will go to a judge. However, the parties can agree in those cases to be heard before a Master. On the recommendation of the Master, a case involving abuse can go to a judge.


Source: A joint project of the Women's Law Center and MLAN, along with interviews conducted with Family Law Court Coordinators, court clerks and local advocates practicing in this county.  Updated by the Maryland State Law Library (MSLL).


Date of Last Review: 10/6/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)