Tools for Baltimore Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Baltimore families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Baltimore move through the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Family Division, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Area covered: Baltimore City.

Court for custody cases: Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Family Division.

Appointed for the child: Best interest attorney.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (child custody and visitation mediation).

Parenting coordinators: Appointed by court order.

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge (parenting seminar).

State family law: Maryland Code Family Law.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For best interest attorneys and guardians ad litem in Baltimore

In Maryland, the court can appoint a best interest attorney in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

The invitation a parent sends is labeled Guardian ad Litem, the title most states use. It works the same if you serve as a best interest attorney in Baltimore.

For therapists and counselors in Baltimore

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Baltimore, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Baltimore

In Maryland, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. Courts can appoint a parenting coordinator by order. The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Baltimore. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Baltimore

Custody cases in Baltimore are heard in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Family Division. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Parenting Education and Mediation Services (Baltimore City Family Division): In many custody and visitation cases, the court orders parents to mediate with mediators the court contracts with. Parents are also ordered to complete a six-hour parenting seminar.

If you searched for a best interest attorney, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Baltimore, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Baltimore: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Baltimore City: Baltimore City Family Law Self Help Center. Walk-in help at the courthouse with family law forms and questions, no lawyer needed.

Baltimore City legal aid: Maryland Legal Aid, (888) 465-2468.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Baltimore?

The Family Division of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City hears divorce, custody, visitation and child support cases for the city. Baltimore County has its own, separate circuit court.

Is there a court mediation program in Baltimore?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Parenting Education and Mediation Services (Baltimore City Family Division). What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Baltimore get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Baltimore City Family Law Self Help Center. Free legal aid: Maryland Legal Aid. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Baltimore?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Parenting Education and Mediation Services (Baltimore City Family Division).

What does a best interest attorney do in a Baltimore custody case?

In Maryland custody cases, the court may appoint a lawyer for the child, called child's counsel, and the order says whether that lawyer serves as a best interest attorney, a child's advocate attorney or a child's privilege attorney. A best interest attorney decides what arrangement is best for the child and also lets the court know what the child wants. You may also see "child's counsel", "child's advocate attorney" and "child's privilege attorney". The rule is in Md. Rule 9-205.1. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Maryland?

Early in a Maryland custody or visitation case, the court decides whether mediation is likely to help and a qualified mediator is available, and if so it orders the parents to mediate. The court may not order mediation when a parent or child raises a genuine issue of abuse in good faith.

Does Maryland use parenting coordinators?

A Maryland parenting coordinator is a neutral mental health or legal professional with mediation experience. The coordinator teaches parents about their children's needs, can help settle disputes, and checks that the parenting plan is being followed.

Do parents in Maryland have to take a parenting class?

Maryland circuit courts commonly order parents in custody and visitation cases to attend a parenting seminar under Maryland Rule 9-204. Each circuit court runs or chooses its own program.