Information & Referral Center

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(301) 780-8000

A large component of the Family Division is the Family Division Information and Referral Center (FDIRC). The FDIRC consists of five workstations for court check-in and attorney/public assistance. There is also a phone center housing telephone operators who receive all calls for the Family Division and Family Law Section of the Circuit Court Clerk's office.

The FDIRC is in a single location of the Circuit Court where trained personnel can answer many questions about family law cases involving divorce, annulment, property distribution, child custody and visitation, alimony, spousal support, setting or changing child support, paternity, contempt, adoption or guardianship. Forms are also available for several types of court actions.

If you want to file a family law case, the FDIRC can provide the approved forms with instructions for family court actions. There is a cost to file a case or a follow-up action. The FDIRC can accept court documents for filing if no fees are involved. Any filing that involves fees must be taken to the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court: Civil filings – Court House Annex Building, Fourth Floor, 14701 Governor Bowie Drive.

The FDIRC can provide the legal guidelines for setting child support and the status of child support cases pending before the court. Please note that all information on the collection of child support must be directed to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at 1-800- 723-9937 or 1-800-332-6347, or you may go to Room 070B in the Courthouse.

Paralegal Office

The Office of the Paralegals is housed within the Family Division Information and Referral Center under the supervision of a paralegal manager who oversees seven paralegals. The paralegal unit receives cases for review and/or referral as appropriate. The paralegal unit prepares memorandums in response to pleadings/papers filed and assists walk-in self-represented litigants and/or attorneys.