Family Law - Caroline 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 Help with forms

Fees
Court Fees
Uncontested Divorce Master Fee: None
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
Waiver for Sheriff's fee and Master's fee is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.


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, Family Services Coordinator, library.

Forms Assistance for Pro Se Litigants
Pro Se Clinic available at the courthouse Mondays from 9 am - 12 noon. 800 numbers are handed out with the forms.

Help with custody forms

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
Required from pro se filers? Yes, but is never enforced.
Required in cases with an attorney? Yes, but it is rarely enforced.

Child Support Worksheets/Guidelines
Available from the Clerk's Office or the Family Services Coordinator's office.

Notarization
Forms do NOT need to be notarized.

Emergency Hearing (Pro Se Litigants)
To request an emergency custody hearing, you must file a request along with something in writing (an affidavit). Be as specific as possible. You must show that it is a "true emergency," meaning that there is a danger to the health or welfare of the child.

It is possible, but extremely rare to be able 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: 10/6/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)