Garrison, MD Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Garrison, MD Consumers

Maryland Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Maryland PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Baltimore County: Key information about your local probate court (Orphans Court & Register of Wills Court in Maryland) for Baltimore County.
• How Probate Works in Maryland: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Baltimore County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Maryland probate forms from the Maryland probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Maryland: Learn how to use Maryland's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Maryland, there's no Affidavit procedure available for small estates. There is a summary probate procedure available for estates that have a value of assets subject to probate that is less than $50,000. (This excludes the value of all joint tenancy property and other assets that pass by beneficiary designation, such as life insurance and transfer on death accounts.)

    This summary probate procedure is also available if the surviving spouse is the only beneficiary and the estate is worth $100,000 or less.

    Md. Code Ann. Estates and Trusts 5-601.

• Maryland Estate Taxes:

  • The state of Maryland imposes an estate tax on property owned in Maryland. If you are inheriting property from the state of Maryland, it may be subject to estate tax if the overall value of the estate is more than $5,000,000.

    Maryland also poses and inheritance tax. It is the only state to have both.

• Avoiding Probate in Maryland. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Maryland Wage & Hour Law

• Maryland Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in Maryland is $15 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in Maryland must be paid at least $15 an hour.

    Baltimore County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Baltimore County is $15 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities and counties in Maryland are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities and counties across the country have done so. To find out whether Baltimore County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/.

  • Visit https://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/wages/wagehrfacts.shtml to learn more about Maryland’s minimum wage.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Maryland and whether they apply to you.

  • Most Maryland employers must pay 1-1/2 times an employee's regular hourly wage for each hour worked over 40 hours in a workweek, unless the employee is exempt. If you work in a bowling alley, or in an institution providing on-premises care to the sick, aged, or individuals with disabilities (other than a hospital), your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each hour you work over 48 hours in a workweek. If you are an agricultural worker, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each hour you work over 60 hours in a workweek. See Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law, at the website of the Maryland Department of Labor, Employment Standards Service, for more information on Maryland's overtime rules and exemptions. 

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Maryland. 

  • The Maryland Department of Labor, Employment Standards Service has posted a wage claim form with instructions at its website. 

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Maryland.

  • In Maryland, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $3.63 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $15 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Maryland law from the Maryland Department of Labor, Employment Standards Service. 410-767-2357

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Maryland Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Maryland: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Maryland, unemployment benefits range from $50 per week to $430 per week.
  • Formula:

    Maryland pays about half of your gross weekly wages as a weekly unemployment benefit. To find out how much you will receive per week, use your earnings during the highest paid quarter of the base period to look up your weekly benefit amount in the chart at Schedule of Unemployment Benefits. 

  • Duration:

    In Maryland, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Maryland.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Maryland MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Baltimore County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Maryland BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Maryland law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Maryland BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Maryland 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Maryland Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Baltimore County: Baltimore County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Maryland Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Maryland!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Maryland? Learn about whether Maryland imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Baltimore County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Maryland, Baltimore County, Garrison 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Garrison, MD.
• Gerrymandering in Maryland: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Garrison, MD

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration

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