Family Court - Anne Arundel 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: $150
Is this fee paid to the Master?: Yes
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
Fees themselves are not waived. What is waived is the prepayment of the sheriff's and Master's fees to the court. The court will assign responsibility for these fees to a party when the case is resolved.


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 pro se office.

Forms Assistance for Pro Se Litigants
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.

The clerk's office refers litigants to the pro se office for assistance. The pro se clinic operates in the courthouse Mon/Wed/Thurs 9-4:30 and Tues/Fri 9-1. There is also a phone line in operation Mon-Fri (410) 280-5374. 

DCM Forms
Required from pro se filers?: Yes
Required in cases with an attorney?: Yes

Child Support Worksheets/Guidelines
Available from the pro se office, the clerk's office, the Office of Child Support Enforcement (reported by some to be hard to get through to if you call for information) and the Domestic Relations Division (located 3 blocks from the courthouse).

Notarization
Consent forms and name change forms do need to be notarized, but forms for emergency hearings do not. There are notaries available in the building.

Emergency Hearing (Pro Se Litigants)
The circuit court suggests that a pro se litigant come to the courthouse, fill in the appropriate form and then speak with a family law attorney.

Advocates suggest that a pro se litigant should get a Motion for an Emergency Hearing form from the pro se office. The Motion should contain the date and time of the hearing, the address of the courthouse, and instructions to meet at the clerk's office. There must be an underlying complaint to support the motion, but this may be filed concurrent with it. The opposing party must have 24 hours notice of the hearing. 

In the petition, the filing party should be as specific as possible about why their situation merits an emergency hearing because the judge may rule on the motion alone and not actually speak to the parties. The Motion itself may be their only chance to tell their story. Generally, for an emergency hearing to be granted there must be imminent danger of serious bodily harm or abduction.

It is generally possible to see a judge the same day a request for an emergency hearing is filed. However, local advocates suggest that a pro se litigant should be present and ready to go the beginning of the day's two sessions (9am and 1:30pm) in order to be first in line. At the end of the day the judge may be less inclined to add new cases to his or her docket.

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: 10/7/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)