Family Court - Montgomery County

Hearings    Orders

Filing Requirements
Fees:     Court Fees     Sheriff's Fees     Fee Waivers
Forms:     Distribution Assistance     Domestic Case Management (DCM) Forms     Child Support Worksheets     Notarization     Emergency Hearings

Fees
Court Fees
Uncontested Divorce Master Fee: None
Pro Se Filing Fee: $105
Filing Fee with an attorney: $115
Post-Judgment Fee: $25/writ

Sheriff's Fees
Sheriff's fee for service: $40
Reissuance of Summons: No additional fee.

Fee Waivers
If court grants waiver fee forms (Dom. Rel. 32), fees for sheriff and master are also waived.


Forms
Distribution
The most reliable source of family court forms is the Administrative Office of the Courts, Family Services Division, which provides the most recent versions of forms for pro se litigants through their website. Forms are also available from the Family Law Window (room 107).

Forms Assistance for Pro Se Litigants
Pro-Se Project (call for times), 1-800 helplines, instructions in form packets.

If you are considering filing for custody in Maryland, there is a new online tool which will walk you though a series of questions and ask you to provide information. At the end of the process, you will have the appropriate Maryland Domestic Relation forms for custody, filled out and read to print

DCM Forms
DCM forms are required in pro se cases and for attorney represented cases.

Child Support Worksheets/Guidelines
Available from Clerk's Office, Master's Suite, form packets, and online.

Notarization
Notarization is not usually required.

Emergency Hearing (Pro Se Litigants)
To request an emergency hearing, go to the Family Law window to request forms and submit, giving proper notice to the other party. If possible, try to get assistance from the Pro Se Project. It is sometimes possible to see a judge the same day the request for an emergency hearing is filed.


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: 10/3/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)