Maryland Custody Law is the same for all Courts in Maryland, however, the policies regarding specific requirements and how and when things are scheduled for Custody cases vary from County to County.   For example, some Courts do not allow what they call "Hybrid Hearings" (where some people are in the courtroom and others are online) for Scheduling Conferences.


The Circuit Court for Baltimore County MD will may possibly allow Hybrid Hearings, with only some persons involved appearing by Zoom, and the others appearing in-person, if the Motion requesting this is granted.   Since they will allow hybrid hearings, you don't have to coordinate with the Other Party to be able to do, but you must file a Motion requesting this for each Party and each Attoney wanting this, and this Motion must be filed ahead of time and granted.


After the Defendant in the case files their Answer to a Complaint For Custody in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County MD, the clerk will usually issue a date for a Scheduling Conference.   This is where both parties and the Attorrney for each (if they have) must appear in Court.


All Scheduling Conferences in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County are usually set to be remote via Zoom.


This Scheduling Conference is required for the purpose of setting dates that will apply in the case, such as a pendente lite Hearing, if desired, pre-Trial/Settlement Conference, and Merits Trial.


An Order from a pendente lite hearing can only be a Temporary Order.   For an Order to be a "Final" Order, it must be issued from a "Merits" Trial.


The Scheduling Conference is also the time to reiterate a request in a Motion filed requesting a court-appointed Best-Interest Attorney for the child involved in the case, if desired, and reiterate a Motion filed requesting an Order for Supervised Visitation if desired.


The Scheduling Conference is also the time to reiterate a Motion filed requesting an Order for Supervised Visitation if desired.


The Family Law Court in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County utilizes the Baltimore County Visitation Center, located in Baltimore County, MD to coordinate court-ordered supervised visitation and monitored exchanges.   See their website for when they are open for monitored visitations and exchanges at https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/circuit/family/visitation


The Circuit Court For Baltimore County, MD does provide Custody Evaluations from within the Court at this time.   This may change at any time.   Some Courts in Maryland do not provide this service.   The Court may also order Mediation at this time.


At this time (December of 2025), the Circuit Court For Baltimore County MD does not have a set amount required for a deposit from each of the parties for the service of a Best-Interest Attorney for the Child involved in the case, like some Courts in Maryland do, if one is appointed.   The deposit that would be required for a Best-Interest Attorney is determined on a case-by-case basis.   Best-Interest Attorneys appointed by the Circuit Court For Baltimore County, MD can charge their normal hourly rate, and if/when the initial deposit is used up, the parties will be required to pay an additional amount.   This could change at any time.   Not all Custody cases have Best-Interest Attorneys appointed.


Scheduling Conferences in the Baltimore County MD Circuit Court can be set on any day.   Two days a month they are set on Fridays with the rest of the month being set Monday through Thursday.   They are set from 9:30 am through 3:00 pm every half hour.   You can request particular possible dates ahead of time.   Not all Courts in Maryland allow you to do this.


The procedure to request a particular date for your Scheduling Conference in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County is not as formal as it is in other Courts in that they do not make you wait 18 days for your Motion requesting a particular date to be "ripe," and usually just go ahead and call the Other Party and see if they object to your proposed date.   *Any of these procedures could change at any time.


All Scheduling Conferences in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County MD are set to be by Zoom.


Settlement Conferences in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County MD are usually set for a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday -- Not usually ever on Tuesdays.


All Settlement Conferences in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County are set to be in-person in the Courthouse unless a Motion Requesting To Appear Remotely is granted.


The purpose of a pendente lite hearing is to maintain the Family status quo when the other party has done something to disrupt this status quo and expedited relief is needed due to a Merits Trial date not being available for several more months.


Pendente Lite Hearings and Merits Trials in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, MD can be set for any day of the week.   The Circuit Court for Baltimore County does not usually allow more than 3 hours, to be divided equally, for a pendente lite hearing.   You can file a Motion asking for a full-day pendente lite hearing, which might be granted if you explain why a full day is needed.


*If you do not request a pendente lite hearing at your Scheduling Conference, then it is possible that you may not be allowed to have one later if you request one.


Uncontested and Contempt Hearings may also be set any day of the week.


After the Scheduling Conference, a Scheduling Order will usually be issued.   This will contain important Deadlines and other Requirements.   Some Courts in Maryland have more deadlines and requirements in their Scheduling Orders than others.


Here are some examples of dealines and requirements of Scheduling Orders issued from the Circuit Court For Baltimore County MD (Scheduling Orders issued from other Courts may be very different) and what the Court issues could change at any time:


All Discovery and ALL Motions regarding Discovery must be completed (including resolution of Discovery disputes) within 4 months of the date of the Scheduling Conference.   Joint Statements and Child Support Worksheets must be filed at least 10 days before the Settlement Conference.


They do not usually set the Trial date until the Settlement Conference date, if the parties fail to Settle their case.   They say they like to schedule Trial dates to be within 30 days of the Settlement Conference date, but if the docket is full, and/or the attorneys cannot do it within that time, then the date for Trial may be set farther away than this.


*It is very important for you to read the Scheduling Order issued in your case because it could have different deadlines and requirements in it.


*The information on this page is general, could change at any time without Notice, and is not meant to replace Legal Advice.

Click HERE to request an appointment Maryland Custody Attorney, Laura Matney, who has obtained Custody Orders desired by her Clients in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, MD


*As each Custody case is different, past success can never be a prediction of future success.

Matney Law Firm
100 West Road
Towson, MD 21204