St. Mary's Cnty. Cir. Ct. Family Law DCM Plan 1

Family Limited

Divorce

Track 4 Family Limited Divorce Cases are 45 minutes to 4-hour merits hearings.

Table 1.5 – Track 5 – Child Support Enforcement Cases

TRACK CASE SUBTYPES CASE DURATION

TRACK 5

1. All cases involving the Dept. Filing to Disposition – 9 months

Child Support of Social Services Child (270 days)

Enforcement Support Enforcement Agency

Track 5 Child Support Enforcement Cases are 15-30 minute merits hearings.

Track Designation

Track designations are automatically set at the filing of the case in

accordance with the information provided on the Civil - Domestic Case

Information Report (CC-DCM-004). With the exception of Track 1A Expedited

Cases, the plaintiff or plaintiff’s counsel is required to file a completed case

information report with the complaint, and the defendant or defendant’s

counsel is required to file one with the answer.

The DCM coordinator will assign all civil cases, as described within the

DCM Plan, to one of five tracks. In the event a party or counsel disagrees with

the designated track assignment, the party or counsel may submit a written

request which states the reason(s) to change the track assignment. The parties

or counsel shall send requests to change the track designation to the attention

of the DCM coordinator and all other parties within 30 days of filing the

complaint. Counsel or self-represented litigants may file a written response

within 15 days from the issuance of the notice, indicating whether they concur

with the request to change the track assignment. If counsel/parties cannot

reach an agreement on a track assignment, the County Administrative Judge

shall make the final decision on the designations.

Miscellaneous Provisions Applicable to all Tracks

The filing of amended complaints, counter-complaints, cross-claims,

third-party claims, and/or the joinder of additional parties shall not change a

scheduling order, except upon motion, for good cause shown.

If any date by which an action is due under this Plan falls on a weekend,

legal holiday, or unanticipated closing of the St. Mary’s County Circuit Court

by Order of the County Administrative Judge, the date to complete such action

will extend to the next business day.

CASE INITIATION

To file a family law case, a litigant must follow these steps:

1. File a Complaint. The plaintiff must provide a service copy of

the complaint, plaintiff’s completed case information report, and a blank

case information report for each defendant. The following actions do not

require a case information report:

a. Contempt for failure to pay child support, when filed by a

government agency;

b. Domestic violence relief under Annotated Code of Maryland,

Family Law Article, Sections 4-501 through 4-516, including Maryland

Rule 3-326(c) transfers;

c. Guardianship, (Maryland Rules 10-201 through 10-305); and

d. Paternity, when filed by a government agency (Annotated

Code of Maryland, Family Law Article, Sections 5-1001 through 5-1048).

Failure to file a case information report will result in the Court

assigning the case to a track which may be contrary to the desire of a

party or counsel.