Start Your Maryland Divorce Online

Maryland Divorce Details

With DivorceWriter, you complete your own Maryland Domestic Relations divorce paperwork online so you can get divorced without an attorney.

Residency

You may file for divorce at any time if at least one spouse has lived in Maryland for six months. You may also file for divorce at any time if the grounds for your divorce (see below) happened while you were living in Maryland, regardless of how long you have lived in-state.

Grounds for Divorce

As of October 1, 2015, couples with no minor children together can file for divorce regardless of whether they are separated as long as both spouses will sign a written Settlement Agreement and will both attend a brief divorce hearing, if one is required by the judge. This no-fault grounds is called "mutual consent."

Most couples who have minor children together file for divorce on the no-fault grounds of "voluntary separation," which means that they have lived separate and apart without interruption (and without having sex) for at least 12 months.

If neither of these no-fault grounds applies in your case, DivorceWriter offers several fault grounds to choose from as well.

Filing for Divorce

All Maryland divorces are filed in Circuit Court in the county where at least one spouse lives or where the non-filing spouse (Defendant) works. You may file by mail or in person at the Court Clerk's office.

Serving Your Spouse

After you file for divorce, you will be given a Writ of Summons by the Court Clerk. Then, you simply select an adult, usually a friend or family member, to serve your spouse by mail or in person. If you prefer, you can hire a private process server to handle this instead.

Completing Your Uncontested Divorce

Maryland divorces can be finalized in as little as 30 days.