The Maryland court system has four levels: the District Court and Circuit Court handle trials, and the Appellate Court of Maryland and Supreme Court of Maryland handle appeals. Which court hears your case depends on the type of dispute, the dollar amount involved, and where the parties live or do business. Most counties also have a separate Orphans’ Court for estates.
The Four Levels of Court
The District Court sits at the base. It handles lower-value civil disputes, traffic violations, misdemeanors, and certain felonies, and it does not conduct jury trials.1Maryland Courts. About District Court The Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction. It takes major civil claims, serious felonies, family law matters, and juvenile cases, and it is the first stop for judicial review of decisions by state administrative agencies.
Above the trial courts are two appellate courts. Effective December 14, 2022, Maryland renamed both: the former Court of Special Appeals became the Appellate Court of Maryland, and the former Court of Appeals became the Supreme Court of Maryland.2State of Maryland Judiciary. Court Name Change Notice The Appellate Court is the intermediate appellate court that reviews most trial decisions. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and takes cases involving significant legal questions or broad public interest. Older forms and case law that use the former names still refer to the same two courts.
Most Maryland counties also have an Orphans’ Court, a specialized court with limited jurisdiction over probate and estate administration, including appointing personal representatives and overseeing how estates are managed.3Maryland Courts. The History of the Orphans’ Court in Maryland In Harford and Montgomery counties, the Circuit Court handles probate instead.
Which Court Hears Your Case
Civil Disputes
For money claims, the dollar amount controls. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over small claims seeking $5,000 or less.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code Section 4-405 Claims between $5,000 and $30,000 can be filed in either District or Circuit Court. Anything above $30,000 belongs in Circuit Court.1Maryland Courts. About District Court Small claims follow a streamlined process designed for self-represented litigants, and there is no jury trial at that level.
Criminal Charges
Misdemeanors like theft or disorderly conduct are typically heard in District Court, which also handles certain felonies where the potential penalty reaches three or more years of imprisonment or a fine of $2,500 or more.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code Section 4-301 – Exclusive Original Jurisdiction More serious felonies go to Circuit Court. Some offenses are hybrids where the prosecutor can charge the case as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances.
Family Law
Divorce, child custody, adoption, and domestic violence proceedings are heard in Circuit Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over these matters. Title 9 of the Family Law Article governs custody and visitation, including interstate disputes and child abduction cases.6Justia. Maryland Code Family Law – Title 9 – Child Custody and Visitation
Estates and Guardianships
When someone dies, the estate generally goes through probate in the Orphans’ Court of the county where the decedent lived. Harford and Montgomery counties route probate through the Circuit Court instead. Guardianship petitions for minors or incapacitated adults also fall within this area.
Agency Decisions
If a state agency denies a professional license, imposes a penalty, or rules against you in a workers’ compensation claim, Circuit Court is the first level of judicial review. The court does not retry the case from scratch; it examines the agency record to determine whether the decision was supported by substantial evidence and whether the agency followed proper procedure.
Where to File: Venue
Jurisdiction tells you which court can hear your case. Venue tells you which county. Maryland’s venue rules sit in Title 6 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code, not in the Maryland Rules, which is a common point of confusion. Under Section 6-201, you generally file a civil action in the county where the defendant lives, works, or carries on a regular business. A corporation can also be sued wherever it maintains its principal offices in the state. When multiple defendants are involved and no single county fits all of them, you can file in any county where at least one defendant could be sued, or in the county where the dispute arose.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code 6-201 – County Where Defendant Resides or Carries on Business Cases involving real property are filed in the county where the property is located. Filing in the wrong venue can lead to dismissal or a forced transfer and the loss of additional filing fees.
Filing Deadlines
Maryland’s general statute of limitations for civil lawsuits, including personal injury, is three years from the date of the injury or from the date you reasonably should have discovered the harm. Contract claims involving the sale of goods follow a four-year deadline under the Commercial Law Article. Tolling can pause the clock in narrow situations: if the injured person is a minor or mentally incapacitated at the time of the event, the deadline generally does not start running until the disability is removed, and fraudulent concealment by the defendant can delay the deadline until the wrongdoing is discovered. Courts enforce these deadlines strictly.
If you are suing a state government entity, additional notice rules apply. Under the Maryland Tort Claims Act, you must file written notice of your claim with the State Treasurer within one year of the injury, describing the facts, the date and place of the incident, and the damages sought. The Act caps damages at $400,000 per individual victim and $800,000 per incident. Claims involving malice or gross negligence by state employees may fall outside the waiver entirely. Local governments have their own notice requirements and damage caps under the Local Government Tort Claims Act.
Appeals have their own deadline: 30 days from entry of judgment to file a notice of appeal.8New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules – Rule 8-202 Notice of Appeal – Times for Filing Missing this window forfeits appellate review in nearly every circumstance. Certain post-judgment motions, like a motion for new trial, reset the clock to run from the date the court rules on the motion.
How a Case Moves Through the System
Filing a Complaint
A civil case begins when you file a complaint identifying the parties, stating the facts behind your claim, and specifying the relief you want. Maryland Rule 1-301 requires court papers to be legible, printed on standard letter-sized paper, and headed with a caption that gives the court’s name, case title, and case number.9New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules – Rule 1-301 Form of Court Papers
Filing Fees
In District Court, a small claims complaint costs $44 and a large claims complaint (over $5,000 up to $30,000) costs $56. Counterclaims and cross-claims run $18 to $28.10State of Maryland Judiciary. District Court of Maryland Cost Schedule Circuit Court fees are higher. The standard fee to docket a new civil action is $165, which includes surcharges for the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund and the Real Property Records Improvement Fund.11Maryland Courts. Circuit Court Fee Schedule Fee waivers are available for litigants who cannot afford the costs.
Electronic Filing
The Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) system is now rolled out statewide, and under Rule 20-201 electronic filing is the standard method in courts that have adopted the system.12West’s Annotated Code of Maryland Maryland Rules. Maryland Rules – Rule 20-201 Requirements for Electronic Filing Self-represented litigants without access to the system may still be able to submit paper filings, but check with the specific clerk first.
Serving the Defendant
Once filed, the complaint must be served on the defendant. Maryland allows personal delivery by a sheriff or private process server, certified mail, or other methods authorized by rule. Improper service is one of the most common and costly self-represented errors, because it can lead to dismissal. Private process servers generally charge between $20 and $100 for a standard serve.
Responding
If you are the defendant, the response deadline depends on the court. In Circuit Court, you have 30 days after service to file an answer that addresses each allegation and raises any defenses or counterclaims.13New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules – Rule 2-321 Time for Filing Answer In District Court, you file a Notice of Intention to Defend within 15 days of receiving the summons. Missing either deadline risks a default judgment.
Discovery
Once pleadings are in, Circuit Court cases move into discovery. Maryland Rule 2-401 authorizes written questions (interrogatories), depositions, requests for documents, and requests for admissions.14New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules – Rule 2-401 General Provisions Governing Discovery Ignoring discovery requests invites sanctions, which can range from paying the other side’s attorney fees to having your pleadings struck. District Court cases, especially small claims, skip formal discovery and move from pleadings straight to trial, so you need your evidence ready from day one.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Circuit Courts can refer most civil cases to alternative dispute resolution under Title 17 of the Maryland Rules. Mediation is the most common form: a neutral third party helps both sides negotiate a voluntary agreement. Protective order actions involving domestic violence are excluded. Custody and visitation disputes often go through court-ordered mediation before a contested hearing. A judge can order you to participate, but any resulting settlement requires both sides to agree. If mediation fails, the case proceeds to trial, and statements made in mediation cannot be used against you.
Appeals
How you appeal depends on where you started. Because the District Court does not hold jury trials, most District Court decisions can be appealed to the Circuit Court for a trial de novo: a completely new trial, as if the first one never happened.
Appeals from Circuit Court go to the Appellate Court of Maryland. The Appellate Court does not hear new evidence or witness testimony; it reviews the trial record and the legal arguments for errors of law. Different standards apply to different issues: pure legal questions are reviewed de novo, factual findings are upheld if supported by substantial evidence, and discretionary rulings by the trial judge are reversed only if the ruling was irrational or arbitrary. A further appeal to the Supreme Court of Maryland is possible but not automatic. The Supreme Court accepts cases at its discretion and focuses on matters with broad legal significance.