Md. Code, Family Law § 5-319
This is the official text of Md. Code, Family Law § 5-319, part of Maryland’s Code, Family Law — governs marriage, divorce, child custody and support, and adoption.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§5–319.
Official statutory text
(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a juvenile court shall rule on a guardianship petition:
(1) within 180 days after the petition is filed; and
(2) within 45 days after the earlier of:
(i) receipt of all of the consents required under this Part II of this subtitle; or
(ii) trial on the merits.
(b) A juvenile court may not enter an order for guardianship of a child under this subtitle before the later of:
(1) 30 days after the birth of the child;
(2) expiration of the time set for revocation of consent, and not waived, under § 5–321(c) of this subtitle; or
(3) expiration of the time to respond to the show–cause order issued under § 5–316 of this subtitle.
(1) within 180 days after the petition is filed; and
(2) within 45 days after the earlier of:
(i) receipt of all of the consents required under this Part II of this subtitle; or
(ii) trial on the merits.
(b) A juvenile court may not enter an order for guardianship of a child under this subtitle before the later of:
(1) 30 days after the birth of the child;
(2) expiration of the time set for revocation of consent, and not waived, under § 5–321(c) of this subtitle; or
(3) expiration of the time to respond to the show–cause order issued under § 5–316 of this subtitle.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a family matter in Maryland?
See all Maryland Family lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.