Family Law - Worcester - Filing Requirements

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 Hearing

Fees
Court Fees
Uncontested Divorce Master Fee: none
Is this fee paid to the Master?: n/a
Pro Se filing fee: $105
Filing fee with an attorney: $115
Post-judgment filing fee: $25/writ

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

Fee Waivers
Court fees may be waived, but sheriff's fee for service cannot.


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 clerk's office and the pro se project.

Forms Assistance for Pro Se Litigants
The Pro Se project operates at the courthouse on Mondays from 9:30am - 2:30 pm.

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.

Domestic Case Management (DCM) Forms
DCM forms are required in cases with an attorney and strongly preferred in pro se cases.

Child Support Worksheets/Guidelines
Parties can obtain child support worksheets and guidelines from the clerk's office and through the Department of Human Resources website.

Notarization
This court does not require forms to be notarized.

Emergency Hearing (Pro Se Litigants)
A pro se litigant should fill out the request for a hearing form and note at the top that it is an emergency. They should state the circumstances clearly. However, it is only possible to see a judge the same day a request for a hearing is filed in cases involving domestic violence.

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.)