If you need assistance with your Maryland family law matter, we can help you explore your legal options. Maryland Family Law Attorney, LaSheena Williams, discusses the benefits and problems with having a family magistrate and a circuit court judge for your Maryland family law case.
Thank you for joining me today my name is LaSheena Williams and I am a Maryland family law attorney. My firm helps our clients take control of out of control domestic situations. Today we will be comparing magistrate judges with circuit court judges in Maryland.
What is a Family Law Magistrate?
A family law magistrate is an official appointed by the court to handle domestic related issues in Maryland.
What Are the Benefits of Having A Family Law Magistrate?
The benefits of having a family law magistrate is that a family law magistrate only handles family law cases, so even if your situation seems unique, a family law magistrate has probably seen it dozens of times by the time they have your hearing. Another benefit to having a family law magistrate is that you often can get in front of a family law magistrate a lot quicker than you can get in front of a circuit court judge.
What Are The Problems With a Family Law Magistrate?
One of the major problems with having a family law magistrate is that a family law magistrate can’t necessarily hear all types of cases. They can’t hear petitions for contempt. they also can only ever give you recommendations. do when you have a hearing before a family law magistrate their recommendations do not automatically become a court order without a circuit court judge reviewing their recommendations in signing it into an order. That can take weeks or even months.
What is a Circuit Court Judge?
A circuit court judge is a judge that’s appointed by the governor or elected by the community to sit on the circuit court and address certain legal issues. Those issues may be family related issues they may be personal injury they may be criminal.
What Are The Benefits of Having a Circuit Court Judge?
The benefits of having a circuit court judge is that when you have a circuit court judge ruling in your case they when they make a decision that decision is a court order. Another benefit of having a circuit court judge they can hear different issues that a magistrate can’t. Like petitions for contempt that involve incarceration because magistrates can’t make rulings or recommendations for people to be incarcerated.
What Are the Problems With Having a Circuit Court Judge?
One of the problems with having a circuit court judge ruling in your case is that they might not necessarily have practiced family law when they were a practitioner and they might not necessarily be on the family law rotation frequently. So if you have a unique family law case and that judge is unfamiliar with it then you may have certain snags that you wouldn’t have if you had had a magistrate.
Which One Should You Choose?
When trying to decide if you should have a magistrate judge or a circuit court judge you should really consult with an attorney. An attorney can work with you to develop a strategy for dealing with your case. They will figure out the issues you have, any concerns, any holes, and then using that information they’ll be able to help you navigate whether you should pick a magistrate judge or a circuit court judge to handle your family law matter.
If you have any questions about magistrate judges or circuit court judges in your Maryland family law matter or if you have any concerns regarding any other domestic issues please subscribe to our channel for future updates please also give us a call at (301) 778-9950 to speak with an attorney today.
Check Out Our Related Maryland Family Court Related Posts:
◾ When the Magistrate Gets It Wrong: Filing Exceptions in Maryland | https://bit.ly/3njJj10
◾ What to Do When the Maryland Judge Is Wrong | https://bit.ly/2LlSnFt
Contact the Law Office of LaSheena Williams today to learn more about how we can help support you with your Maryland family law matter.
