The Maryland divorce “blue form” is Form CC-DCM-001, the Civil-Domestic Case Information Report — a one-page intake sheet you attach to your Complaint for Absolute Divorce when you file in circuit court.1Maryland Courts. Family Law Court Forms The nickname comes from the days when courts required it on blue paper. The form itself holds no evidence or argument. It tells the clerk what kind of case you’re bringing, which issues are contested, how long you expect hearings to run, and whether you need an interpreter or disability accommodation. Skip it and your divorce can stall before it starts.
Where to Get the Form
Download CC-DCM-001 as a fillable PDF from the Maryland Judiciary’s forms page.2Maryland Courts. Civil – Domestic Case Information Report Paper copies are at any circuit court clerk’s office. If you’re filing without a lawyer, Maryland’s Guide & File walks you through an interview and generates both CC-DCM-001 and CC-DR-020 (Complaint for Absolute Divorce) with your answers already filled in.3Maryland Courts. Maryland Guide & File
One point of confusion worth clearing up: CC-DCM-001 is not CC-DR-001, which is the Complaint for Child Support.4Maryland Courts. Complaint for Child Support The information report attaches to your complaint. It doesn’t replace it.
How to Fill Out the Form
The current revision (October 2023) runs two pages with clearly labeled sections.2Maryland Courts. Civil – Domestic Case Information Report Work through them in order.
Header and Party Information
At the top, write the circuit court name (your county, or Baltimore City) and the case name as “Plaintiff vs. Defendant.” Leave the case number blank; the clerk fills that in. Check whether you’re the plaintiff or defendant, then enter your name, phone, address, and email. Attorney information goes in the designated block. If you’re filing on your own, check “I am not represented by an attorney.”
The form also asks about related pending cases. If there’s an existing protective order, custody case, or prior child support matter involving you and your spouse, answer “Yes” and give the case number if you have it. Disclosing related cases keeps rulings from conflicting.
Pleading Type
For a first-time divorce filing, check “Original” under “New Case.” If you’re amending an earlier complaint or filing a post-judgment motion, use the appropriate box under “Existing Case” and skip the Case Category/Subcategory section that follows.
Case Category and Subcategory
New cases only. Check one box identifying the case type. Divorce sits under “Domestic Family” — check “Divorce.” Other categories include Annulment, Custody, Child Support, Alimony/Spousal Support, Paternity/Parentage, and Visitation. Pick the one that matches your primary complaint. The specific issues come next.
Issues
Check every matter you want the court to decide, whether this is a new case or an amendment. For a typical absolute divorce you’ll check “Divorce” at minimum. Add boxes for custody, child support, alimony (the form separates permanent from rehabilitative), property distribution, pension distribution, use and possession of the family home, and restoration of a former name as they apply to you. Missing an issue here won’t necessarily bar you from raising it later, but it can throw off the court’s scheduling.
Special Requirements
Need a spoken-language interpreter? Check the box and attach Form CC-DC-041. For disability accommodations under the ADA, such as wheelchair access or assistive listening devices, check the appropriate box and attach Form CC-DC-049. Flagging these early gives court staff time to arrange them before your first hearing.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The form asks whether your case is suitable for mediation, arbitration, a settlement conference, or neutral evaluation. Mark “Yes” or “No” for each. If every answer is “No,” include a short explanation. Many Maryland circuit courts will order mediation or a settlement conference regardless, but your answers give the court a sense of how cooperative the process is likely to be.
There’s one situation where mediation is off the table. Under Maryland Rule 9-205(b)(2), the court cannot order mediation if a party or child reports a genuine issue of abuse and represents that mediation would be inappropriate.5Maryland Courts. Mediation & ADR Note it in the ADR section if it applies, and raise it with the court at your first opportunity.
Hearing Time Estimate and Contested Issues
Give realistic time estimates for a merits hearing (the trial) and for any preliminary hearings. An uncontested divorce with no property or custody disputes might run under two hours. A contested case with business valuations, expert witnesses, and custody disagreements can stretch across several days. The form also asks whether the case is contested, and if so, which issues are in dispute: grounds for divorce, custody, visitation, child support, alimony, property distribution, or other matters. Be honest. Low-balling complexity doesn’t speed anything up. It causes continuances when the court runs out of time on the schedule.
Filing the Form With Your Complaint
File CC-DCM-001 at the same time and in the same place as your Complaint for Absolute Divorce — with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county (or Baltimore City) where you’re starting the case. Maryland Rule 2-111 requires the plaintiff to file the information report with the complaint.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules, Rule 2-111 – Process–Requirements Preliminary to Summons
Electronic Filing Through MDEC
Maryland finished statewide rollout of the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) system on May 6, 2024. E-filing through MDEC is mandatory for attorneys in all courts under Maryland Rule 20-106.7Maryland Courts. MDEC Self-represented litigants can e-file through the MDEC portal too, but aren’t required to; you can still file in person at the clerk’s office.8Maryland Courts. Maryland Electronic Courts – E-filing When you e-file, the color of the paper is irrelevant. CC-DCM-001 is uploaded as a PDF alongside your complaint.
Filing Fees
There’s no separate fee for the information report; it’s bundled into the civil filing fee for your complaint. Fees vary slightly by county. Harford County charges $165 without an attorney and $185 with one.9Maryland Courts. Circuit Court for Harford County, MD – Civil Fees Prince George’s County charges $165 without an attorney and $175 with one.10Prince George’s County Judicial, MD. Domestic/Family Fees Expect something in the $165 to $185 range at most circuit courts, and confirm with your local clerk.
Fee Waivers
If you can’t afford the filing fee, submit Form CC-DC-089, Request for Waiver of Costs, with your complaint. The court looks at whether you meet the Maryland Legal Services Corporation’s financial eligibility guidelines and whether you are unable to pay by reason of poverty. There’s no fixed income cutoff printed on the form. The judge reviews your financial situation and also confirms the claim isn’t frivolous on its face.
What Happens If You Don’t File It
The court won’t necessarily reject your complaint outright. Under Rule 2-111, if you don’t attach the report, the court may proceed without your input and assign your case to whatever scheduling track it sees fit.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules, Rule 2-111 – Process–Requirements Preliminary to Summons A complex custody dispute could land on an expedited track with deadlines you can’t meet. A straightforward uncontested divorce could get scheduled as a multiday trial. Neither helps you.
If you’re the defendant rather than the plaintiff, Maryland Rule 2-323(h) requires you to file your own information report with your answer when the plaintiff didn’t file one, when you disagree with the plaintiff’s version, when you disagree with the court’s assigned track, or when you’ve filed or expect to file a counterclaim or cross-claim.11New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules, Rule 2-323 – Pleading — Answer and Defense
What Comes Next
Once the clerk processes your complaint with the attached report, the court issues a Writ of Summons, the document that officially notifies your spouse that a divorce action has been filed.12Maryland Judiciary. Divorce (Part 2): What Happens After Someone Files for Divorce? The writ typically arrives within five to ten days.13The Maryland People’s Law Library. Frequently Asked Questions About Service of Process in Maryland
You then have to serve your spouse with copies of the complaint and all attachments, including the information report, through formal service of process. The court cannot move forward until your spouse has been properly served and proof of service is filed.14Maryland Courts. Divorce Maryland allows service by sheriff, private process server, or certified mail in most cases.
From there, the answers you gave on CC-DCM-001 drive scheduling. An uncontested case may get a shorter hearing sooner. A contested case with multiple issues goes on a longer track with discovery deadlines and often a settlement conference or mediation referral. The form is short, but what you put on it shapes how the rest of your divorce unfolds.