Did you know that you can look at the docket entries on-line using the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website? Whether your divorce is in Howard County or any other jurisdiction in the State of Maryland, all you have to do is type in the website, agree with the terms of service and then look up any divorce, family law, divorce, child support or other case. In fact, it is true for most other civil and criminal cases as well.
But is this helpful or harmful?
Many judges and mental health therapists will tell parents that having a contested divorce places all of the family’s dirty laundry out there for anyone to see. Parents can get so wrapped up in their litigation with each other that they forget there are witnesses to the dissolution of their marriage-their children.
The Maryland case search yields a great deal of data for your children, neighbors, friends, enemies and “frenemies” to view, all with a few easy clicks. The case search result can tell others how many cases you have been involved in. Within each case, the case search docket shows the names and addresses of all parties, attorneys and others associated with the case. It detail the date and subject matter of each and every hearing. If there is a money judgment against one of you, that’s in there, too. If one of you has been held in contempt, that’s in there, too.
Then there is a long list of every single docket entry of each and every document filed, and order granted or denied in your case.
Think you have a privacy expectation? Think again.
At the end of the day, what goes on case search is under either your control or your spouse’s control Sometimes that means you have no control at all.
At Milstein Siegel, we think about these things. While filing an action in Court, we are going to advise you that court filings are public, and the Maryland online case search website is also highly public. It even contains some information about the results of domestic violence proceedings.
Guess who is learning about the Maryland case search website? Employers. As well as “bad people.”
If you are going through a family law situation, there is never a substitute for sitting down and meeting with an experienced divorce attorney. The attorneys at Milstein Siegel are experienced, practical and sensitive to your needs. An initial consultation is free. What do you have to lose? You know what you have to gain.