About the Orphans' Court
The Orphans’ Court for Baltimore County is established under Article IV, Section 40 of the Constitution of the State of Maryland. It is a court of limited jurisdiction specializing in cases involving disputes about wills and/or codicils, the administration of estates, guardianships over property left to minors and protection of minors’ assets. The work of the court essentially falls into three main categories:
- litigation (involving estates as well as guardianships)
- supervision over the administration of deceased persons’ estates, and
- protection of the property of children under the age of 18.
Cases Heard
Among other things, cases heard by the Orphans’ Court for Baltimore County involve objections by one or more beneficiaries/heirs to an Administration Account or fees requested by the Personal Representative(s) and/or attorneys, petitions to remove a personal representative due to a breach of fiduciary duty or mismanagement of estate assets, disagreements among the beneficiaries/heirs as to who should be appointed personal representative, disputes over whether a particular claim (debt of the decedent) should be paid from estate assets and caveats of Wills and/or Codicils.
Court Location
The court is physically located in the County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Avenue in Towson, Maryland. This is sometimes referred to as the "New Courthouse." It is staffed by three part-time judges. The court is assisted by a full-time judicial assistant and a part-time legal assistant/mediation coordinator. The court clerk is the Register of the Wills.
Revised August 14, 2006
