Divorce in Maryland, start to finish
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Maryland rewrote its own divorce law on October 1, 2023 — it deleted six fault grounds, repealed limited divorce entirely, and cut the separation requirement roughly in half. Most of what you’ll find searching tonight — including some pages that look official — still describes the old law. This guide doesn’t. It’s built from the Family Law Article as it stands today, the real CC-DR forms on mdcourts.gov, and nothing older than October 1, 2023.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Which forms do you actually need?
Your route and its conditions, the forms grouped by route, how filing actually works in Maryland, and the sequence with its costs.
First, which route you are on. Each one opens to the conditions the rule actually sets.
Mutual consent
Family Law §7-103(a)(3)
Available only where all of these are true:
- There is a full written settlement agreement covering property, debt and alimony.
- Where there are minor children, it also covers custody and child support, and the court finds those terms in the children’s best interest.
- Both spouses have signed it.
6-month separation
Family Law §7-103(a)(1)
Available only where:
- The spouses have lived separate and apart, without interruption, for at least 6 months before filing.
Irreconcilable differences
Family Law §7-103(a)(2)
Available where:
- The marriage is irretrievably broken, and the actual reasons are stated in the Complaint.
Grouped exactly as Maryland labels them. Every number links to the official PDF.
6-month separation and irreconcilable differences — where there is no signed settlement agreement 1 form
- CC-DR-033 — Joint Statement of the Parties Concerning Marital and Non-Marital Property
All grounds 10 forms
- CC-DR-020 — Complaint for Absolute Divorce
- CC-DCM-001 — Civil-Domestic Case Information Report
- CC-DR-030 — Financial Statement — short form, child-support-guideline cases
- CC-DR-031 — Financial Statement — long form, alimony / contested property / above-guideline income
- MDJ-008 — Notice Regarding Restricted Information — filed with each Financial Statement and Parenting Plan
- CC-DR-094 — Counter-Claim for Absolute Divorce — only if the other spouse wants to allege their own grounds
- CC-DR-054 — Request for Order of Default — only if the other spouse never responds
- CC-DR-059 — Request for Hearing or Proceeding
- CC-DC-089 — Request for Waiver of Costs — if the filing fee is unaffordable
- CC-DR-097 — Motion for Restoration of Former Name — optional, no fee
All grounds — minor children, no signed settlement agreement 1 form
- CC-DR-110 — Joint Statement Concerning Decision-Making Authority and Parenting Time — where the parents cannot agree on a plan
All grounds — where the spouse is formally served 3 forms
All grounds — where the spouse is not formally served 1 form
- CC-DR-050 — Answer to Complaint / Petition / Motion — the other spouse files this, or enters an appearance voluntarily
All grounds — where there are minor children 3 forms
Mutual consent 1 form
- CC-DR-116 — Marital (Marriage) Settlement Agreement — signed by both spouses
You may e-file, but you do not have to
The checklist is not something you file. It is your worktable — what to do, in what order, and what it costs. The forms are what reaches the court, and this is how they get there in Maryland.
- Portal
- MDEC — Odyssey File and Serve
- Paper
- Still accepted — you can file over the counter.
- What it costs
- No portal fee published.
- Account
- Only if the self-represented party opts in. Registration requires an email address and a valid credit card.
- Worth knowing
- Maryland is a textbook 'attorneys must, pro se may' state and says so in plain language on its own public-facing page — worth quoting directly to readers. Two practical points: (1) registration requires a valid credit card on file, which is a real barrier for some pro se filers; and (2) the one-way door in Rule 20-106(a)(3) means that once you e-file, you are locked into e-filing for the rest of the case. Paper filings are scanned and maintained electronically by the clerk.
Each step with the forms it names and the money it costs. The full detail of every step is in the section below. Print this part.
| # | Step | Forms it names | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm your ground and your residency | None named | — |
| 2 | File your Complaint packet | CC-DCM-001CC-DR-020CC-DC-089 | $165 |
| 3 | Get your spouse served answer due in 30–90 days | CC-DR-050 | — |
| 4 | File your Financial Statement | CC-DR-030CC-DR-031MDJ-008 | — |
| 5 | File your Parenting Plan, if you have children | CC-DR-109CC-DR-035CC-DR-034CC-DR-110 | — |
| 6 | Clear your ground’s own waiting requirement | None named | — |
| 7 | Request your hearing | CC-DR-059 | — |
| 8 | Attend the hearing and get your Judgment | None named | — |
Every figure here is this page’s own, from the costs section below. A fee waiver application is free to file and is listed with the forms above.
| Filing fee — Complaint for Absolute Divorce, flat statewide (Cts. & Jud. Proc. §7-202(e)) | $165 |
| Sheriff or private process server, per person served | ~$40–$90 |
| Motion for Restoration of Former Name (CC-DR-097) | $0 |
| Parent education class, in counties that require one for custody cases (local rule, not statewide) | ~$25–$100/parent |
| Remote or in-person notarization, if a document requires it | $0–$25 |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | $165–$350 |
The short version9 points · tap one to jump to it
- The three grounds, and what each one requires — Since October 1, 2023, Maryland has exactly three grounds for absolute divorce: mutual consent, 6-month separation, and irreconcilable differences.
- Every form Maryland publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filing them — Every Maryland form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing is normal — the Judiciary even built a free guided tool for it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Maryland's clock runs differently from most states'.
- The order it actually happens in
- Maryland's trap: the internet is still running on the old law
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Mutual consent isn't available just because you both want a divorce — the court needs the actual signed settlement agreement in hand, addressing alimony, property, and (if you have children) custody and support, before it can grant the divorce on that ground.
- The Financial Statement — what CC-DR-030 / CC-DR-031 require — Required under Maryland Rule 9-203 whenever alimony, child support, or marital property is on the table.
- What this costs — Rule 1-325). Eligibility is tied to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation's financial guidelines rather than a single fixed number — the clerk can tell you the current thresholds, or you can ask the Maryland Court Help Center at 410-260-1392.
In this subject 9
1 · The three grounds, and what each one requires
The short version9 points · tap one to jump to it
- The three grounds, and what each one requires — Since October 1, 2023, Maryland has exactly three grounds for absolute divorce: mutual consent, 6-month separation, and irreconcilable differences.
- Every form Maryland publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filing them — Every Maryland form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing is normal — the Judiciary even built a free guided tool for it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Maryland's clock runs differently from most states'.
- The order it actually happens in
- Maryland's trap: the internet is still running on the old law
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Mutual consent isn't available just because you both want a divorce — the court needs the actual signed settlement agreement in hand, addressing alimony, property, and (if you have children) custody and support, before it can grant the divorce on that ground.
- The Financial Statement — what CC-DR-030 / CC-DR-031 require — Required under Maryland Rule 9-203 whenever alimony, child support, or marital property is on the table.
- What this costs — Rule 1-325). Eligibility is tied to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation's financial guidelines rather than a single fixed number — the clerk can tell you the current thresholds, or you can ask the Maryland Court Help Center at 410-260-1392.
In this subject 9
Since October 1, 2023, Maryland has exactly three grounds for absolute divorce: mutual consent, 6-month separation, and irreconcilable differences. Adultery, desertion, cruelty, conviction and insanity are gone as grounds — they can still matter for alimony or custody, but they can no longer be the reason on a Complaint. Limited divorce was repealed outright. Much of what a search turns up tonight, including some pages that look official, still describes the old law; which of the three grounds fits changes whether a case can be filed today or has to wait.
Residency first. Family Law §7-101: where the grounds for the divorce happened outside Maryland, one spouse needs to have lived in Maryland for at least 6 months before filing. Where the grounds happened here, there is no wait — current Maryland residency is enough.
Mutual consent
Family Law §7-103(a)(3)
Maryland’s fastest ground: no separation wait at all. Since October 2023 it is open to couples with minor children, as long as the agreement covers custody and support and the court finds it is in the children’s best interest. Only one spouse needs to appear at the hearing.
Available only where all of these are true:
- There is a full written settlement agreement covering property, debt and alimony.
- Where there are minor children, it also covers custody and child support, and the court finds those terms in the children’s best interest.
- Both spouses have signed it.
The whole ground hinges on the agreement being actually signed. A plan to agree is not the same thing as an agreement, and the ground is not available without one.
6-month separation
Family Law §7-103(a)(1)
No settlement agreement is needed for this ground — the elapsed time does the work instead. A case on it can still move as an uncontested one where the spouses are on reasonably cooperative terms, even without every detail agreed in advance.
Available only where:
- The spouses have lived separate and apart, without interruption, for at least 6 months before filing.
Same roof still counts, if the spouses have genuinely been living separate lives — separate bedrooms, separate finances, no longer functioning as a couple. Where the case is not cooperative, formal service applies and any contested issue takes a longer path through the regular docket.
Irreconcilable differences
Family Law §7-103(a)(2)
No waiting period and no separation requirement — a complaint on this ground can be filed today.
Available where:
- The marriage is irretrievably broken, and the actual reasons are stated in the Complaint.
The tradeoff is what the other spouse can do with it. Of the three grounds, this is the only one whose factual basis the other spouse can put in issue: where they disagree that the marriage is irretrievably broken, it becomes a contested, litigated question rather than a formality. Mutual consent turns on a signed document and the 6-month ground turns on elapsed time; neither of those is contestable in the same way.
2 · Every form Maryland publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms are needed depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Each row says which ground or condition it belongs to and carries the revision date clerks check where the Judiciary publishes one. Every one is free.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Maryland handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Maryland itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with a Maryland family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-DR-020 | Complaint for Absolute Divorce | All grounds | 08/24 | Download |
| CC-DCM-001 | Civil-Domestic Case Information Report | All grounds | 10/23 | Download |
| CC-DR-116 | Marital (Marriage) Settlement Agreement — signed by both spouses | Mutual consent | 10/25 | Download |
| CC-DR-033 | Joint Statement of the Parties Concerning Marital and Non-Marital Property | 6-month separation and irreconcilable differences — where there is no signed settlement agreement | — | Download |
| CC-DR-030 | Financial Statement — short form, child-support-guideline cases | All grounds | — | Download |
| CC-DR-031 | Financial Statement — long form, alimony / contested property / above-guideline income | All grounds | — | Download |
| MDJ-008 | Notice Regarding Restricted Information — filed with each Financial Statement and Parenting Plan | All grounds | — | Download |
| CC-DR-109 | Maryland Parenting Plan Tool | All grounds — where there are minor children | — | Download |
| CC-DR-110 | Joint Statement Concerning Decision-Making Authority and Parenting Time — where the parents cannot agree on a plan | All grounds — minor children, no signed settlement agreement | 08/24 | Download |
| CC-DR-034 | Worksheet A — Child Support Obligation, sole/primary physical custody | All grounds — where there are minor children | — | Download |
| CC-DR-035 | Worksheet B — Child Support Obligation, shared physical custody (92+ overnights each) | All grounds — where there are minor children | 10/25 | Download |
| CC-DR-050 | Answer to Complaint / Petition / Motion — the other spouse files this, or enters an appearance voluntarily | All grounds — where the spouse is not formally served | 07/26 | Download |
| CC-DR-055 | Affidavit of Service — Hand Delivery / Private Process | All grounds — where the spouse is formally served | — | Download |
| CC-DR-056 | Affidavit of Service — Certified Mail, Restricted Delivery | All grounds — where the spouse is formally served | — | Download |
| CC-DR-070 | Motion for Alternate Service and Affidavit — where the other spouse cannot be located | All grounds — where the spouse is formally served | — | Download |
| CC-DR-094 | Counter-Claim for Absolute Divorce — only if the other spouse wants to allege their own grounds | All grounds | 07/26 | Download |
| CC-DR-054 | Request for Order of Default — only if the other spouse never responds | All grounds | — | Download |
| CC-DR-059 | Request for Hearing or Proceeding | All grounds | — | Download |
| CC-DC-089 | Request for Waiver of Costs — if the filing fee is unaffordable | All grounds | — | Download |
| CC-DR-097 | Motion for Restoration of Former Name — optional, no fee | All grounds | 01/24 | Download |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — clerks reject superseded revisions. Full catalog: mdcourts.gov/family/forms.
3 · Getting the forms and filing them
Nobody explains this part, so here it is. Every Maryland form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing is normal — the Judiciary even built a free guided tool for it.
You may e-file, but you do not have to Your choice
- Portal
- MDEC — Odyssey File and Serve
- Paper
- Still accepted — you can file over the counter.
- What it costs
- No portal fee published.
- Account
- Only if the self-represented party opts in. Registration requires an email address and a valid credit card.
- Worth knowing
- Maryland is a textbook 'attorneys must, pro se may' state and says so in plain language on its own public-facing page — worth quoting directly to readers. Two practical points: (1) registration requires a valid credit card on file, which is a real barrier for some pro se filers; and (2) the one-way door in Rule 20-106(a)(3) means that once you e-file, you are locked into e-filing for the rest of the case. Paper filings are scanned and maintained electronically by the clerk.
Step one — download them free
All Maryland circuit court family forms live here, at no cost:
mdcourts.gov/family/forms — Family Law Forms
Don’t reuse a saved copy. CC-DR-050 and CC-DR-094 were both revised in July 2026, and CC-DR-116 was revised in October 2025 — clerks reject superseded versions. The revision date is printed in the corner of every form.
Step two — fill them in on screen
Maryland’s CC-DR forms are fillable PDFs. Open them in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Preview on a Mac, or any browser, type into the fields, and print or upload. Some forms ask you to check a box confirming they contain “Restricted Information” (Social Security numbers, birth dates for children) — when they do, you generally need to file MDJ-008, the Notice Regarding Restricted Information, alongside them.
The Judiciary runs Guide & File — a free interview that fills in your Complaint (CC-DR-020) and Civil-Domestic Case Information Report (CC-DCM-001) for you, question by question, and produces the finished PDFs. It doesn’t tell you which divorce ground to pick or draft your settlement agreement — that’s what this guide is for — but it’s worth using for the mechanical part: courts.state.md.us/guideandfile.
Step three — filing and service
File your Complaint with the circuit court for the county where you or your spouse lives. Most Maryland circuit courts accept e-filing through the statewide MDEC system, but self-represented filers are not required to use it — walking paper into the clerk’s office is completely normal.
If your spouse isn’t filing alongside you, they need to be served — by the sheriff, a private process server, or certified mail restricted delivery. A cooperative spouse can often skip formal service entirely by simply appearing and filing their own Answer (CC-DR-050) voluntarily; some clerks will also accept a signed acknowledgment of receipt in place of formal service. Ask your county circuit court clerk which of those your county will accept, since practice varies.
Form CC-DR-020 itself now only has boxes for the three current grounds. If a form you find elsewhere still has boxes for adultery, desertion, or a “1 year” or “2 year” separation, you’re looking at a superseded form — Maryland clerks will bounce it.
Step four — the hearing
Most uncontested Maryland divorces still end with a short hearing where the plaintiff testifies to the grounds and confirms the settlement agreement, often by Zoom in many circuits. The one real exception the 2023 reform made: on the mutual consent ground, only one spouse needs to appear — before the reform, both did.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Maryland’s clock runs differently from most states’. A lot of the “waiting period” has to happen before you file, not after — so this calculator works out both when you become eligible to file, and what happens once you do.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · Maryland’s trap: the internet is still running on the old law
This is the single most common way Maryland divorce filings go sideways right now, and it isn’t a clerical mistake — it’s outdated information. We checked several long-standing Maryland self-help pages while building this guide, and found some still describing the pre-October-2023 rules side by side with pages on the very same sites that have been updated. Here’s exactly what changed, so you can spot stale advice yourself.
| Before October 1, 2023 | Now |
|---|---|
| Separation ground required 12 months if mutual and voluntary, or 2 years if not — and you had to maintain separate residences. | One 6-month separation ground. Same roof is fine if you’re genuinely living separate lives. |
| Mutual consent divorce was only available to couples with no minor children. | Mutual consent is available with children, as long as your agreement covers custody and support and the court finds it’s in their best interest. |
| Both spouses had to appear at the mutual consent hearing. | Only one spouse needs to appear. |
| Six fault grounds existed: adultery, desertion, cruelty, excessively vicious conduct, conviction, insanity. | All six are gone as grounds for divorce (they can still matter for alimony/custody). |
| “Limited divorce” — a legal separation short of full divorce — was a distinct case type. | Repealed entirely. It no longer exists as a filing option. |
People still routinely wait a full year to file because they read the old separation rule, or assume mutual consent is closed to them because they have kids. Both cost real months. If a page you’re reading — even a Maryland court or legal-aid page — mentions a 1-year or 2-year separation, or says mutual consent requires no children, it predates October 1, 2023. Check the page’s own “last updated” date before you trust it.
7 · The rejection-proofing checklist
These are the specific things that get Maryland filings bounced or stalled.
Grounds and residency
Forms people forget
Timing
Mutual consent isn’t available just because you both want a divorce — the court needs the actual signed settlement agreement in hand, addressing alimony, property, and (if you have children) custody and support, before it can grant the divorce on that ground. A verbal understanding, or an agreement you’re still negotiating, isn’t enough — you’re on the separation or irreconcilable-differences ground until it’s signed.
8 · The Financial Statement — what CC-DR-030 / CC-DR-031 require
Required under Maryland Rule 9-203 whenever alimony, child support, or marital property is on the table. Each form names its own subsection on its face: CC-DR-030 is Rule 9-203(b), CC-DR-031 is Rule 9-203(a). Which one you file is a dollar test plus a claim test, not a judgment about how complicated your finances are. The Maryland Judiciary’s own guidance: file CC-DR-030 (about 2 pages) if your case includes child support provisions and you and your spouse have a combined monthly income of $30,000 or less; file CC-DR-031 (about 10 pages) if your case addresses alimony, property distribution, or child support and combined monthly income is more than $30,000. That $30,000 a month is $360,000 a year, the top of Maryland’s child support guidelines schedule, which is why it is the line. Both are sworn statements, filed with the court, not just exchanged.
Work out the two figures first: combined monthly income, and whether alimony or property distribution is in the case at all. If either answer puts you over the line, CC-DR-031 is the one. The long form is always acceptable even where the short one would do — it is just more paperwork. Filing the short form when alimony or property distribution is actually involved is the more common way to get sent back to redo it.
9 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee — Complaint for Absolute Divorce, flat statewide (Cts. & Jud. Proc. §7-202(e)) | $165 |
| Sheriff or private process server, per person served | ~$40–$90 |
| Motion for Restoration of Former Name (CC-DR-097) | $0 |
| Parent education class, in counties that require one for custody cases (local rule, not statewide) | ~$25–$100/parent |
| Remote or in-person notarization, if a document requires it | $0–$25 |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | $165–$350 |
File CC-DC-089, Request for Waiver of Costs (Md. Rule 1-325). Eligibility is tied to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation’s financial guidelines rather than a single fixed number — the clerk can tell you the current thresholds, or you can ask the Maryland Court Help Center at 410-260-1392.
What people actually pay for a lawyer, by county
Maryland’s filing fee doesn’t vary by county — unlike some states, it’s the same $165 everywhere. What varies is attorney pricing. The ranges below are member-reported, illustrative example figures from The Cusp’s community — not an official survey, and not a quote. Treat them as a sense of scale, not a price.
| County | Uncontested, flat-fee / limited-scope | Contested, retainer range |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | $900–$2,200 | $5,000–$15,000+ |
| Baltimore City & Baltimore County | $700–$1,800 | $4,000–$12,000+ |
| Anne Arundel County | $800–$2,000 | $4,500–$13,000+ |
Does cheating change the money in Maryland?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor the court is allowed to weigh. The rule: “the circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the parties” (§ 11-106(b)(6)). How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? No fault ground survives in Maryland, so forgiving an affair cannot cost you the divorce — which is an answer rather than a gap: condonation, state by state. If the decision itself is what you are sitting with rather than the law, start here.
What this is. A guide to Maryland’s own process, built from the Family Law Article as amended effective October 1, 2023 (including §§7-101 and 7-103), Courts & Judicial Proceedings §7-202(e), Maryland Rules 1-325, 2-321, and 9-202/9-203, and the current CC-DR and CC-DCM forms published by the Maryland Judiciary at mdcourts.gov. The forms themselves are free and this guide links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Maryland requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney. Many offer free consultations, and the Maryland Court Help Center (410-260-1392) and Maryland Legal Aid (1-888-465-2468) offer free guidance to people who qualify. Court staff, including the clerk, are not permitted to give legal advice.
Confirm current numbers with the clerk. Filing fees, service costs, and local requirements like parent education classes are set or adjusted by the legislature, the Judiciary, or individual circuit courts and can change. Where this guide could not verify an exact figure or requirement with confidence from an official source, it says so or points you to your county circuit court clerk rather than guessing.
Four things can happen to the house in a Maryland divorce
Maryland is not one of the twenty states where filing freezes both spouses automatically. That is not permission to sell: either of you can still ask a court for an order, and one may already exist in your case. But the automatic-order trap is not one you fall into here.
One of you buys the other out, you sell later, you sell now, or the court decides. For a great many people the right answer is not to sell at all – and three of the four routes earn us nothing.
The four routes, compared · Keeping it: the buyout and the carrying cost · Selling: capital gains, basis and timing · Finding an agent who has done a divorce sale · What two households cost
Need a vetted attorney, mediator, or financial analyst in Maryland?
Browse The Cusp’s professional directory — rated only by verified clients, never ranked by who paid the most.
Browse the directory →The Cusp · All 50 state kits · Find a professional · About
Ask for an introduction to an agent → — who we would introduce you to, what the referral fee is and who pays it, and why the answer is sometimes that you should not sell at all.
Everything we have written about Maryland specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Maryland’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
- Modifying support after divorce
- Check your state’s rules in one place (modification checker)
- What it costs to file
- Child custody
- Child support
- Guardians ad litem and child representation
- Travel, custody and relocation
- Alimony
- Property, support and legal fees
- Protective orders
- Changing your name back
- Legal help you can afford
- Verified professionals
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.
All 20 Maryland divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 20 with an official form number, 20 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Maryland form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Maryland
Short answers to what people ask most before they start. Each one points at the part of this page that covers it in full.
How do I file for divorce in Maryland?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Maryland: which form opens the case, what has to be served on the other person and when, and what the court needs before it will finish. It is written to be followed in sequence rather than read through.
What forms do I need to file for divorce in Maryland?
The form list on this page gives the official Maryland form numbers, each one’s revision date, and a link to the copy on the court’s own site rather than a copy hosted here. Using a superseded revision is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back, which is why the dates are shown.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Maryland?
$165 to open the case, and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Maryland, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Maryland.
What gets a Maryland divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Maryland rather than a general list. Most of them are procedural and cost weeks rather than money: the wrong form revision, a missing signature or notarization, service done in a way the state does not accept, or filing before a residency requirement is met.
How long does a divorce take in Maryland?
There is a timeline on this page built from Maryland’s own statutory day-counts, not from averages. The honest short answer is that the waiting period is a floor and not a prediction: an uncontested case can finish close to it, and a contested one is governed by the court’s calendar rather than the statute.
Where does the information on this page come from?
Maryland’s own courts and statutes. Every form links to the court’s site, every fee is quoted from the published schedule with the date it was last checked, and where something could not be confirmed from an official source this site says so instead of estimating. It is free, with no account and no paywall.
Does cheating change the money in Maryland?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor Maryland allows the court to weigh, which is not the same as a rule that decides the outcome — it sits alongside need, earning capacity and the length of the marriage, and how much weight it gets is the judge’s. Eighteen states are in this position. The fifty-state table sets out the section this comes from, and the card higher up this page quotes your state’s own words.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Key deadlines at a glance
These are the same deadlines the calculator above works out, shown as days counted from the day you file or the day your spouse is served. Use the calculator for your exact dates.
Do you already have a full signed settlement agreement? No
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint filed | The day you file | CC-DR-020 and CC-DCM-001 go to the clerk together, with the $165 filing fee or a fee waiver request (CC-DC-089). |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Sheriff, private process server, certified mail, or a voluntary appearance. |
| Spouse’s Answer is due (if served in Maryland) | 30 days after service | Md. Rule 2-321 — 60 days if served elsewhere in the U.S., 90 days if served outside the U.S. |
| You can request an order of default if they haven’t responded | 31 days after service | File CC-DR-054, Request for Order of Default. |
Do you already have a full signed settlement agreement? Yes
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint filed | The day you file | CC-DR-020 and CC-DCM-001 go to the clerk together, with the $165 filing fee or a fee waiver request (CC-DC-089). |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Sheriff, private process server, certified mail, or a voluntary appearance. |
| Spouse’s Answer is due (if served in Maryland) | 30 days after service | Md. Rule 2-321 — 60 days if served elsewhere in the U.S., 90 days if served outside the U.S. |
| You can request an order of default if they haven’t responded | 31 days after service | File CC-DR-054, Request for Order of Default. |
Your county
Divorce rules are set by the state, but each county or court has its own forms, deadlines, classes and filing habits. Choose yours.
Or go straight to your county or court:
Anne Arundel County (call to confirm)Baltimore CityBaltimore CountyHoward CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's County (call to confirm)Anne Arundel County Call or check the court website to confirm
Parents with children in common will generally be ordered to complete a six-hour online parent education program, run through an outside provider. Cost, mediation and local procedure were not confirmed.
Who to contact: Circuit Court phone 410-222-1397
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Baltimore City
Parents in custody or visitation matters are ordered to complete a six-hour online, self-paced seminar that costs $25, with a fee waiver form available. Court mediation is free and held over Zoom. Mediators do not send an agreement to the court, so the parties file a signed original with the Clerk’s Office (Room 109) themselves.
Who to contact: Family parenting/mediation phone 410-396-5188; business hours 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Baltimore County
In contested custody cases parents are ordered to take an online six-hour Co-Parenting Class before the mediation session. The Family Mediation Office helps with parenting plans and sometimes asset division. An Access to Justice Resource Center on the second floor gives free help with filing family law complaints, and the Legal Aid Bureau runs monthly pro se divorce classes for couples separated at least two years with no child support, property or alimony issues.
Who to contact: Family Division, Baltimore County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, MD 21204; 410-887-2614; baltcocc@mdcourts.gov; Family Mediation Office 410-887-6570
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Howard County
Custody and visitation mediation is often ordered in contested cases unless domestic violence is alleged, in two two-hour sessions that the parties pay for; a fee waiver form is available. Property mediation happens only if both parties agree. Parents may be ordered to a parenting seminar through one of two providers and pay the provider directly. A free Family Law Assistance Program gives consultations and form help.
Who to contact: Family Law Office, 9250 Judicial Way, Ellicott City, MD 21043; main 410-313-2111; Family Law Coordinator 410-313-2225
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Montgomery County
Parents with a Montgomery County Circuit Court order can take the PEACE co-parenting program online at $25 per class. Mediation, self-help and local procedure details were not confirmed, so check with the clerk.
Who to contact: Circuit Court, 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850; 240-777-9400; PEACE program 240-777-9342; open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Prince George's County Call or check the court website to confirm
The Family Division offers a free Family Law Orientation in English and Spanish, where attendees receive standard forms for simple cases. Schedule, parenting class, mediation and local procedure were not confirmed.
Who to contact: Courthouse, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772; Family Law Orientation 301-952-3655
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Not listed? Your county clerk of court can tell you the local rules. These are general information from court and clerk pages, last checked 2026-11-10, not legal advice.
Serving the papers in Maryland? Sheriff or a private adult 18 or older who is not a party; not you. The summons is effective for 60 days. (As we read the rules on 29 October 2026.) See who can serve a divorce summons and whether you can do it yourself, and find Maryland in our state-by-state serving table.
Stay current
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How we can help
Understand the house first. Then talk to someone who gets it.
The house is usually the largest decision in a divorce, and the one people are least ready for. Here is what we do, in the order that makes sense.
1. Start with the facts, free
22 states have automatic orders that freeze both spouses the moment a divorce is filed, barring either one from selling or borrowing against the property. Is yours one of them?
Plain-English guides on what can happen to the house, what an automatic order stops you doing, and how the tax rules decide what a sale is worth. No account and nothing to buy.
- The four things that can happen to the house
- Selling the house: who signs, and the tax rules
- Keeping the house: the buyout and the carrying cost
2. Know when not to call an agent
Often the right answer is to wait, or to talk to your lawyer or an accountant first. We say so plainly. An agent is the wrong first call if nothing is filed, or if an order restricts what either of you can do with the property.
3. Talk to someone who gets it
When you do need an agent, we introduce you to a local agent who has completed our divorce real estate training and passed its 20-question exam. Before any introduction we check the license with the state regulator (any unresolved disciplinary action is a no), the agent’s closed sales, and a review rating of 4.7 or better. The introduction is free, and you are free to say no.
Ask for an introductionHow we are paid
You pay us nothing. Agents are not charged for the training, the exam or the free resources. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee out of its own commission, not out of your proceeds. A place on the panel cannot be bought.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The Cusp is not a law firm.
Selling a home in a divorce: what to ask a local listing agent
Selling the house is often the largest single decision in a divorce. These questions help you judge whether an agent has done it before. They do not replace your lawyer, who should approve the plan before anything is listed.
- Have you sold homes where both spouses had to sign, or where a court had to approve the sale? How many, and how recently?
- Does filing already restrain a sale in my state? Check the 50-state table and ask my lawyer before we sign anything.
- Who decides on price changes and which offers to accept when we disagree, and how will that be written down?
- Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance until closing, and what does the listing agreement say about it?
- Where will the sale proceeds be held until the decree says who gets what?
- How will you handle showings, access and lockboxes if we are not speaking?
- Will you give both spouses and both lawyers the same information at the same time?
- What happens to the listing agreement if we settle, reconcile or the case is delayed? What are the cancellation terms?
- Can I have your fee terms in writing and the names of past clients who sold during a divorce?