Family Law- Wicomico- Hearings

Filing Requirements    Orders

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

Hearings
Scheduling
Hearings are not scheduled automatically and must be requested.

Settlement Conferences
Settlement conferences are not held whether the litigants are represented or not.

Length of Time to Get a Hearing
Once a request for a hearing is submitted, litigants generally receive a scheduling conference within 4-6 weeks and a hearing on the merits 2 months later.

Emergency Hearings - Pro Se Litigants
A pro se litigant should use the request for a hearing form and write "Emergency" on the top of it. It is not possible to have a hearing the same day the request is filed unless domestic violence is a factor.

Who Will Hear The Case
Who will hear the case varies upon the time required for the case. The majority of cases heard before a master are done so at the request of the parties.


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:  10/2/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)