Anne Arundel County Divorce and Family Law Lawyer
Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Severna Park and the surrounding communities, with cases filed in Annapolis.
Anne Arundel County is a separate jurisdiction from Baltimore County, with its own circuit court. If you live in Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Severna Park, Pasadena, Crofton or Odenton, your divorce or custody case is generally filed in Annapolis rather than Towson, and that court’s local practices govern the schedule.
The substantive law does not change. Maryland’s grounds for divorce, the equitable distribution framework, the alimony factors and the child support guidelines are statewide. What changes is where you file and how that court runs its family docket.
Where Anne Arundel cases are heard
Family cases are heard at the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401. The clerk’s office can be reached at 410-222-1397.
Venue generally follows where you or your spouse lives, works or conducts business, so if the two of you now live in different counties there may be more than one proper court. That is worth sorting out before anything is filed.
Government and military employment
A large share of households in this county are tied to state government in Annapolis, to the federal government, or to nearby military installations. That matters in a divorce for one specific reason: federal and military retirement systems have their own rules for how a former spouse’s share is calculated and paid, and dividing them takes more than a line in an agreement.
The general principles are the same as any other retirement asset. The portion earned during the marriage is generally marital property regardless of whose name is on it, and actually dividing an account requires a separate order directed to the plan. See property and debt division.
Divorce
Maryland now recognizes only absolute divorce. Limited divorce was repealed in October 2023, and there is no legal separation status in Maryland. The available grounds are a six month separation, which can now be satisfied while living under the same roof if the spouses are genuinely leading separate lives, irreconcilable differences, and permanent legal incapacity to consent. Mutual consent is a separate route where there is a complete signed settlement agreement.
See grounds for divorce in Maryland and the divorce process step by step.
Custody and support
Custody is decided on the best interests of the child, with legal custody meaning decision-making authority and physical custody meaning where the child lives. Child support follows the statewide income shares guidelines. See custody and parenting plans and child support.
Working with a Towson office
Our office is at 1107 Kenilworth Drive in Towson. Much of a family case now happens by video, including many scheduling and settlement conferences, so the distance matters less than it used to. If you have already been served, the deadline to answer is short. See filing, service and response.
Official resources
Related pages
Talk with a Towson family law attorney
Every divorce and custody matter turns on its own facts. The Law Office of Thomas K. Mallon, LLC offers a free consultation so you can get straight answers about your situation before you decide what to do next.
Call (410) 847-9075 or request a consultation online. The office is at 1107 Kenilworth Drive, Suite 305, Towson, MD 21204.
This page provides general information about Maryland law. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Maryland law changes, and how it applies depends on the facts of your case.