Maryland Divorce Forms & Papers

Divorce Papers > Maryland Divorce Forms & Papers

Divorce is the most important decisions in a person's life. One should therefore be very careful when taking this step. A proper thought needs to be given in order to make sure that you don't repent on your decision in the later part of your life. Same goes when filing a divorce. One should have a good amount of knowledge of the legal procedures in order to have a divorce without many hiccups. This is especially applicable if you are doing a divorce all on your own. Doing a divorce on your own has its own advantages. Firstly you can save a good deal of money on lawyer's fee and also you can do it at your own convenience, as time permits. However, since you are not aware of the legal terms there are chances that you end up filling incorrect information on the documents, leading to unnecessary delay in the process. A lawyer or attorney on the other hand, owing to his/her expertise, would be in a better position to acquire a divorce for you within no time, especially if the divorce is uncontested. Nevertheless most people do a divorce on their own. One should just be a little careful while filing the forms and also make sure that you fulfill the residential requirements of the state. Getting the documents checked and verified from a divorce lawyer can be one of the options to expedite the process of divorce. Most divorce papers are available online thereby making the divorce process quite simple. What's more? You get most of the information on authentic websites to make the divorce process quick and hassle free. The same goes for Maryland divorce forms and papers.

Residential Requirements:

Either spouse may file for divorce in Maryland, unless the grounds for divorce occurred outside Maryland. The divorce may be filed for in a county where either spouse resides. [Annotated Code of Maryland; Family Law, Title 7, Section 7-103; and Maryland Rules, Rule S-70]. For more information on filing divorce see our page on how to apply for a divorce.

Ground for Divorce:

The no-fault grounds for divorce in Maryland are: 1) the spouses have voluntarily lived separate and apart for one year without interruption or cohabitation and there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation; or 2) the spouses have lived separate and apart without interruption for two years. [Annotated Code of Maryland; Family Law, Title 7, Section 7-103].

The fault based ground could range from adultery, cruelty, bad conduct, deliberate desert a spouse for 12 months or more without any hope of reconciliation, insanity, felony conviction or misdemeanor for a minimum of 3 years.

Procedure to file a divorce in Maryland:

There are three basic steps to file a divorce in Maryland. This includes:

• Filing the divorce papers and forms: The forms need to be filled accurately or else you might be asked to refill the form proving further delay.
• Notifying the spouse: The spouse would be summoned by the court. However it is good if you notify the spouse in advance as it should not come to them as a shock. Notifying the spouse is very important especially if it an agreed divorce.
• Attending the court hearing: Both the parties should be present during the court hearing to complete the formalities and agree upon terms such as property distribution, child custody and alimony if any.

One should note that only the property purchased during the marriage is considered for equal property distribution. The property obtained before marriage, inheritances before marriage are not included when equal distribution of the property is considered. Apart from the property, there should also be equal division of debts taken while the partners were still married. The debts and expenses would be binding and equally divided among both the partners, unless for exceptions where one of the spouses is not working or the other spouse mutually agrees to bear it all.

USE THESE WORDS IN THE COURT DOCUMENTS FOR MARYLAND

1. Use these exact words, all in capital letters: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARYLAND
2. Use these exact words, all in capital letters: BILL FOR DIVORCE
3. Use the word "Plaintiff'. Be sure the "P" is capitalized.
4. Use the word "Defendant". Be sure the "D" is capitalized.
5. Use these exact words, all in capital letters: DECREE OF DIVORCE
6. Use the word "County" here.

Free Maryland Divorce Forms for Download

Following divorce forms are free for download. Most of the forms are provided with instructions on how to fill the form. To download any of these divorce papers and forms just right click on the link and select "Save As...".

• Complaint for Absolute Dissolution of Marriage
• Complaint for Limited Dissolution of Marriage
• Request for Master's Hearing
• Affidavit of Service - Private Party
• Answer to Complaint for a Petition or Motion
• Affidavit of Service - Certified Mail
• Request for Order of Default
• Joint Statement Regarding Property and assets division
• Complaint for Visitation
• Denial of Visitation
• Failure to Pay Child Support - Request Court Action
• Financial Statement regarding Child Support & Alimony issues
• General Child Support
• Motion to wave fees
• Petition for Protection from Domestic Abuse
• Petition to modify child support
• Instructions for Dom. Rel. Form 20
• Joint Statement of Parties Concerning Marital and Non-Marital Property
• Request for Trial on Merits of the issues
• Orders to Show Cause Petition

• Complaint for Child Custody
• Request for Custody

• Financial Affidavit

If you don't want to file for divorce papers directly then find Divorce Lawyers in Maryland here.

Divorce Papers