Privacy, Not Secrecy: How Maryland’s New Law Shields Divorce Filings from Public View

Can anyone walk into a Maryland courthouse and read the details of your divorce? In this episode of JGL LAW FOR YOU, David Bulitt and family law attorney Christopher Castellano break down Maryland’s new divorce privacy law, which takes effect October 1, 2026. Until now, anyone could ask to see the complaint, answers, and other filings in a divorce case. Under the new statute, the public can see little more than the fact that a case exists and the final judgment of absolute divorce.

David and Chris explain what the law does and does not change, including why Maryland Judiciary Case Search will still show a case’s docket; why your spouse, the attorneys, and the judge will still see everything you file; and how the statute fits with the existing rules on restricted information in court filings. They also draw an important line between privacy and secrecy and explain why the new law is no reason to be less careful about what you put in a filing.

For anyone who has put off filing for divorce because they don’t want to air their dirty laundry, whether over allegations of abuse or adultery or because they run a business and don’t want customers finding their case records, this episode offers a clear look at what will stay private, what won’t, and why any concern about sensitive information is worth raising with your lawyer early.