WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information: Maryland

Divorce

Laws current as of August 19, 2024

What are the residency requirements for divorce in Maryland?

You can file for divorce in Maryland if you or your spouse physically live in Maryland.1 The divorce papers would be filed in the circuit court in the county where you or your spouse live.2 If the reason for your divorce happened outside of Maryland, you can only file for a divorce in Maryland if you or your spouse has lived in Maryland for at least six months before you file.3 If the reason for the divorce happened inside of Maryland, then this six-month requirement doesn’t apply; you could be living in Maryland for less time and still file.4

1 MD Code, Courts & Jud. Proc. § 6–202(1)
2 See Maryland Courts website
3 MD Code, Fam. Law § 7-101
4 See The People’s Law Library of Maryland website

Legal Information

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.