Skip to Main Content

Family Law

Maryland Register and Code of Maryland (COMAR)

Maryland Register -  Weekly publication of proposed and final rules, gubernatorial appointments, notices of meetings, and other items concerning Maryland agencies. Quarterly indexes are later combined into a yearly index.

  • Online: current 6 issues Division of State Documents, Office of theSecretary of State website
  • Print: Reading Reserve Room and 12th floor

Code of Maryland Regulations  (COMAR) - Final rules published in the Maryland Register arranged by subject and updated bi-weekly. Many Family law related regulations are codified at Title 7 Department of Human Resources . 

Official Text:
      Under State Government Article, §7-217, Annotated Code of Maryland, the printed version of COMAR is the official and enforceable text. Only the official text may be judicially noticed under Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, §10-203 Annotated Code of Maryland.

  • To update COMAR:
    • Look at the title page of the volume to determine the date through which the volume is current.
    • Check the most recent cumulative  index of the Maryland Register covering the time since the COMAR volume was published. The section of the index titled "CUMULATIVE TABLE OF COMAR CHAPTERS AFFECTED" will give the citation to the Maryland Register where there has been an actual or proposed change.
    • For those months not covered by the Maryland Register index, check weekly issues of the Maryland Register for the time period not covered by the index.
    • Check the Table of Pending Proposals
  • Online: Maryland Division of State Documents website
  • Print: Reading Room Reseves and 12th floor

Maryland Attorney General Opinions

The attorney general is charged with, among other things, defending the constitution and laws of Maryland and representing the state in litigation. Part of fulfilling these responsibilities involves serving as general counsel for the governor, the legislature, and the agencies of the state. As provided by statute, the attorney general issues letter opinions when requested by officers and agencies of the state.

The Attorney General's office responds to requests from state officials for official opinions regarding different issues. These opinions, while not binding, are considered very persuasive by Maryland courts when interpreting state laws.

  • Formal Opinions concern issues that will be of interest to people throughout the state.

Sources for 50 State Surveys

Because family law tends to vary state by state, it can be useful to compare and contrast the laws between them. If you are lucky, someone may already have done a fifty state survey on your family law topic. To see if a survey already exists, check out these resources: