Procedure to Initiate a Divorce in Maryland

The process of divorce is made up of two principal stages - the initiation of the divorce process and the finalization of it. While many individuals place a significant emphasis on the initiation of the divorce process, the crux of the matter lies in finalization, which officially dissolves your marriage. The process of filing for divorce simply kicks off your divorce case with the court, whereas finalization, being a more complex task, involves your paperwork being scrutinized by the Judge. When filing, the court staff merely accepts your paperwork and your payment, even if the paperwork is incorrect or incomplete. This is why the majority of online divorce services focus mainly on helping you prepare the paperwork for filing, offering guarantees that their paperwork will be accepted for filing. What about assistance in actually finalizing your divorce? Many don't offer this, but our website does.

Step-by-step Guide - Initiating Divorce in Maryland

To initiate a divorce in Maryland , you'll need to submit a Complaint for Absolute Divorce to the appropriate Clerk of the Circuit Court in your county. Determining which court you should file your divorce case with requires you to answer a few questions. Are you or your spouse residents of Maryland? Have either of you been residents for at least one year? If both are Maryland residents, in what county does the Defendant reside? In what county did you both live when you separated? Answering these questions will help you identify where to file your Complaint for Absolute Divorce.

Each Circuit Court may have their own requirements and may necessitate unique forms and documents to be filed along with the Complaint for Absolute Divorce. But before you file your Complaint, there are many factors to consider. For example, will your divorce be contested or uncontested? Will your spouse be cooperative? Do you know your spouse's current location? Your responses to these questions will influence how your case progresses through the court.

Finalizing Your Divorce in Maryland

The ultimate goal of the process is to finalize your divorce. However, this can be a tedious, time-consuming, and costly venture unless you are equipped with the right information. There may be several steps between filing your divorce and finalizing it, depending on a variety of factors such as your spouse's level of cooperation or if the court is required to make decisions for you.

Even in a straightforward, uncontested divorce case, finalizing your divorce can pose challenges if your Judgment of Absolute Divorce is not accurately drafted or deemed satisfactory and legally sufficient. Many people enlist the help of website companies or non-attorney service providers for document preparation. In Maryland, judges may not finalize a poorly drafted Judgment of Absolute Divorce. If a Judge suspects that you received your paperwork from a non-attorney, the Judge often will require that you appear at a court hearing and answer questions about your documents and their origin.

Since the average individual places emphasis on filing (starting the divorce with the court), non-attorney website companies often exploit consumers because it seems logical to think that initiating the divorce is the most crucial step. A careful review of such companies' websites reveals that they only guarantee their documents will be accepted for filing. But, as stated here, it's the Judgment of Absolute Divorce that actually ends your marriage. After reading this page, hopefully, you understand that FINALIZING your divorce is what's most important. This website can assist you in not only filing your divorce but also in finalizing it.

Opt for the Ease of Maryland Divorce Online

You can use Maryland Divorce Online to complete your divorce 100% online, or you can use it to receive all your paperwork that you sign and mail to the court. Either way, your paperwork is prepared by a duly licensed Maryland attorney, ensuring your documents will be legally accurate and complete. You won't have to make any visits to the courthouse or appear before a Judge when you allow us to E-file your case for you. If you decide to file the paperwork yourself, you should not have to appear before a Judge to answer questions about where you received your paperwork.

Our process is straightforward. You simply answer a series of questions online, and a Maryland Divorce Online attorney reviews your answers and prepares all your divorce paperwork for you. The paperwork includes not only the Complaint for Absolute Divorce but also your Judgment of Absolute Divorce. In addition, the online attorney prepares step-by-step instructions that you can use to finalize your uncontested divorce with your local court. But if you prefer, you and your spouse can sign and notarize your paperwork online and have the case attorney electronically file your case with the court for you. In this scenario, you don't have to print a single piece of paper, and you and your spouse can sign and notarize your Maryland divorce from anywhere.

What are the costs?

Divorce in Maryland is a two-phase process. The total cost of the First Step service is $195 or two payments of $99. In the First Step, you receive a Case Number from the court.

To finalize your divorce in Maryland, you must complete a second action with the court, known as a Request for Order of Default, but only after you have a Case Number. We offer an additional service to prepare and file the Request for Order of Default and the related documents for $169.

The State of Maryland charges two court fees: $165 for the Case Number and $30 for the Request for Order of Default. The state adds a modest convenience fee for payment processing.

For a more detailed explanation of all our services and divorce costs see: link
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