Find Divorce Decrees in Kent County

Kent County divorce decree records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Chestertown, and the Maryland Judiciary Case Search provides a free online index of all cases filed in the county. The Circuit Court for Kent County is part of the Second Judicial Circuit and handles all family law matters, including divorce filings, for this Eastern Shore county.

Kent County Circuit Court Clerk

Sherise L. Kennard is the Circuit Court Clerk for Kent County. Her office at 103 N. Cross Street in Chestertown holds all divorce decree records for the county. The clerk office handles requests by phone, mail, and walk-in. Staff can search case files, issue certified copies, and help you find old records. For most requests, knowing the names of both parties and an approximate year is enough to start the search.

The general phone number is 410-778-7460. A toll-free line is available at 800-989-2520. For civil and family matters, including divorce decrees, call 410-778-7461 directly. The criminal and juvenile line is 410-778-7477. The clerk's direct number is 410-778-7431. Callers with hearing or speech needs can use Maryland Relay 711. The office does not publish a public email address, so phone or mail contact is preferred for most records requests in Kent County.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on Maryland state holidays. The official website for the Kent County clerk is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/kent.

Searching Kent County Divorce Decree Records

Start with the Maryland Judiciary Case Search tool at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. This is free and available at any time. Search by the name of either spouse or by case number. Divorce cases in Maryland use the case type code "DA" for absolute divorce. The results show the case number, the parties' names, the filing date, and the current case status. This is the fastest way to confirm a divorce was filed in Kent County and to get the case number you need for a copy request.

The online case search does not show document images. You can see case index data, but not the actual text of the divorce decree. To get the full decree, you must contact the clerk office in Chestertown. A written mail request works well for most people. Send your request to 103 N. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD 21620. Include the full names of both parties, the date or year of the divorce, and the case number if you have it. Payment by check or money order should be enclosed or you can wait for the clerk to contact you with the total.

Walk-in requests are handled during office hours. Bring a valid photo ID. If the case is older, it may take staff some time to locate the file. Call ahead if you are looking for records from more than ten years ago.

Note: Kent County is a smaller court system. Staff are generally responsive to mail and phone requests, and wait times for copies tend to be shorter than in larger counties.

Kent County Divorce Decree Fees

Copy and certification fees in Kent County follow the Maryland statewide schedule. Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certification of any document costs $5.00. A certified copy of a single-page divorce decree runs $5.50. Longer decrees add $0.50 per additional page. If you need an exemplified copy with the triple seal, that costs $10.00.

The filing fee for a new divorce case in Kent County is $165 without an attorney and $185 with one. A search fee of $12 applies for each five-year period searched when staff must manually hunt through older records. These fees are set by Maryland court rules and are consistent across all 24 circuit courts in the state.

Maryland Divorce Law and Kent County Cases

All divorces in Kent County follow Maryland Family Law. The residency rule under Maryland Family Law § 7-101 states that if the grounds for divorce happened outside Maryland, the filing spouse must have lived in the state for at least six months before filing. If both spouses live in Maryland and the grounds occurred here, there is no waiting period based on residency alone.

Maryland updated its divorce law on October 1, 2023. Under Maryland Family Law § 7-103, the accepted grounds are now a six-month separation, irreconcilable differences, or mutual consent. Mutual consent is available when both parties agree on all terms and submit a written settlement agreement. This is often the fastest path to a final decree in Kent County. There is no mandatory waiting period for mutual consent cases once the paperwork is complete and filed correctly.

The Circuit Clerk in Kent County must permanently record every final divorce decree, as required by Maryland Family Law § 7-106. A name change can be included in the decree or requested within 18 months after it is signed, per Maryland Family Law § 7-105. Court forms for divorce filings are free at mdcourts.gov/courtforms.

What Kent County Divorce Decrees Show

A divorce decree from Kent County is a judge-signed court order that officially ends the marriage. It carries the court seal and the date it was entered. The decree names both parties in full. It sets out every term of the divorce, whether by agreement or court order after a hearing.

Property division terms appear in the decree or in a separate attached agreement. If the case involved children, the custody arrangement and any visitation schedule are included. Child support amounts are either in the decree or in an attached order. Alimony, if granted, is spelled out with the amount and duration. Any name restoration is written into the decree itself. Most people need a certified copy of the final divorce decree for legal tasks like updating a Social Security record, changing a name on a deed, or remarrying in Kent County or elsewhere.

Other Sources for Kent County Divorce Records

The Maryland State Archives in Annapolis is a good resource for older divorce decree records. Their collection covers Kent County cases going back many years. The Archives are at 350 Rowe Blvd, Annapolis, MD 21401, phone 410-260-6400. Certified copies through the Archives cost $25. Order online at shop.msa.maryland.gov. Their research guide at guide.msa.maryland.gov explains what records are available and how far back they go.

For divorces from January 1, 1992 onward, the Maryland Division of Vital Records offers a verification service. A verification is not the full decree. It is a short document confirming the divorce and showing basic facts. The fee is $12. Visit health.maryland.gov/vsa for ordering information. Kent County divorce records prior to 1992 must be requested from the clerk office or the State Archives.

The Maryland State Archives holds historical divorce records for Kent County and offers certified copies through their online ordering system at shop.msa.maryland.gov.

The Archives research guide explains which Kent County divorce records are held there and how to request them by mail or online order.

Legal Help in Kent County

Residents of Kent County can get help with divorce filings from the Maryland Courts Self-Help system. Call 410-260-1392 or visit mdcourts.gov/selfhelp for guides on filing without a lawyer. Court staff at the Chestertown courthouse can answer procedural questions but are not permitted to give legal advice.

Maryland Legal Aid serves the Eastern Shore, which includes Kent County. They provide free legal help to qualifying individuals, with a focus on low-income residents facing divorce or family law matters. Family Support Services are also available through the Kent County Circuit Court for parties in active cases. The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org has plain-language guides on Maryland divorce law that apply to Kent County cases. For the full range of divorce resources from the court system, see mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/family/divorce.

Cities in Kent County

The county seat of Kent County is Chestertown. All divorce cases from Kent County, including those involving residents of Chestertown and surrounding communities such as Galena, Rock Hall, and Millington, are filed at the Circuit Court at 103 N. Cross Street. No cities in Kent County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Kent County is located on the Eastern Shore and borders two other Maryland counties. If you live near the county line, confirm which county applies to your case before filing.