Family Court

Default orders
A hearing will be scheduled automatically in cases where children are involved. If there are no children or it is an uncontested divorce, a hearing will not automatically be scheduled.

Show Cause
Show cause orders are entered in contempt cases, pendente lite, and modifications. If a show cause order is entered in a contempt case, the hearing date is noted on the order.

Mediation
The Court orders mediation when both parties are pro se and when counsel represents parties. The Court makes mediation referrals to pro se litigants.

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 (MSLL)

Is this legal advice? This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney. See our section on Finding Legal Help.

About this website. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. The website was developed (1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal services providers serving low and moderate income Marylanders. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2007.”

Comments?

Need help with the legal terms?

Understanding Legal Research