Maryland Judiciary - Family Administration

In 1998, the Maryland Judiciary, with generous support from the Maryland General Assembly, established circuit court family divisions in Maryland's five largest jurisdictions. These were established in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County. In addition, the Judiciary has established family services programs in each of Maryland's smaller jurisdictions. Those counties without separate family divisions were provided with a family support services coordinator and a budget for services to families involved in the judicial system. Each jurisdiction, regardless of size, has worked to establish a variety of services and to refocus its case management to ensure the thorough and holistic treatment of families.

In establishing the family divisions and family services programs, the Maryland Judiciary has been driven by a core of family-centered values and goals:

stabilizing families in transition;
promoting co-parenting relationships;
fostering parents as primary family decision-makers;
protecting adults and children at risk;
preserving family relationships where possible;
preserving and establishing support networks for parents and children'
developing a familiarity with each family
providing judges complete information so they can make the best decision possible for a family when necessary; and
ensuring equal access to justice for all Maryland citizens.

The mission of Maryland's Family Divisions is to provide a fair and efficient forum to resolve family legal matters in a problem-solving manner, with the goal of improving the lives of families and children who appear before the court. To that end, the court shall make appropriate services available for families who need them. The court also shall provide an environment that supports judges, court staff and attorneys so that they can respond effectively to the many legal and non-legal issues of families in the justice system.

CIRCUIT COURT PROGRAMS
Allegany
Anne Arundel
Baltimore City
Baltimore
Calvert
Caroline
Carroll
Cecil
Charles
Dorchester
Frederick
Garrett
Harford
Howard
Kent
Montgomery
Prince George's
Queen Anne's
Somerset
St. Mary's
Talbot
Washington
Wicomico
Worcester

The services provided through the circuit courts may include:

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION:

Custody/Visitation Mediation
Marital Property Mediation
Volunteer Attorney Facilitators
Dependency (CINA/TPR) Mediation
Settlement or Pretrial Conferences

EVALUATIVE SERVICES:

Custody Evaluations
Home Studies
Mental Health/Psychological Evaluations
Substance Abuse Assessments

EDUCATIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES:

Co-parenting Education
Psychoeducational Programs for Children
Individual, Family & Group Therapy
Anger Management Courses
Substance Abuse Treatment

SAFETY AND PROTECTION SERVICES:

Emergency Mediation/Crisis Intervention
Domestic Violence Planning
Visitation Centers (Supervised Visitation & Monitored Exchange)

LEGAL SERVICES:

Pro Se Assistance Projects
Domestic Relations Forms
Information & Referral Centers
Domestic Violence Advocacy Programs