Charles County Attorneys for Injury, Criminal, and Family Cases
We represent Charles County residents hurt in crashes on US-301 and MD-210, charged with a criminal or traffic offense and holding a date in La Plata, or working through a divorce, custody, or protective order matter.
Most of the people who call us were sent by someone we already represented. You will talk to an attorney, not an intake desk.
One Firm for the Charles County Case You Are Facing
Legal trouble in Charles County usually arrives as one event with several consequences. A collision on Crain Highway turns into an insurance claim, a citation, and lost income all at once. We keep our practice narrow on purpose so a Waldorf or La Plata family can bring the whole problem to one attorney and get a straight answer about each part of it.
Crashes on US-301, MD-210, and Berry Road
The injury calls we take from Charles County come off the roads people here drive every day: US-301 Crain Highway through Waldorf and White Plains, MD-210 Indian Head Highway, MD-228 Berry Road, MD-5 Leonardtown Road, and the Nice/Middleton Bridge crossing into Virginia. We handle car, truck, and motorcycle collisions, slip and fall injuries, workplace injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death claims.
Whether you are looking for a personal injury lawyer in La Plata or a car accident attorney in Waldorf, the same two things decide what a claim is worth: what the records show, and how early someone starts collecting them. Maryland's contributory negligence rule means one recorded statement to an adjuster can cost you the whole claim, so call before you give one. Injury consultations are free and injury cases are handled on contingency.
Charges and Citations Headed to the La Plata Courthouse
A summons with a La Plata address on it is not a verdict, and what happens on that date depends heavily on what is done before it. A Charles County criminal defense attorney earns the fee in the weeks ahead of the hearing rather than on the morning of it. We defend DUI and DWI charges, drug possession, assault, theft and property offenses, domestic violence charges, juvenile matters, speeding tickets, and serious traffic charges that put a license or a commercial endorsement at risk.
Our criminal work is led by an attorney who has sat at the prosecutor's table, which changes how we read what a case is likely to be charged as, tried as, or negotiated down to. When a matter closes in your favor or the waiting period has run, we file to clear the record.
Divorce, Custody, and Support for Charles County Families
Our family law work in this county runs through two courtrooms: contested divorce and custody cases are heard at the Circuit Court in La Plata, and protective order petitions move quickly through District Court. We handle contested and uncontested divorce, custody and visitation schedules, child support, property division and alimony, prenuptial agreements, and contempt actions when an existing order is being ignored.
Cost is the first question most people ask a divorce attorney in Charles County, and the honest answer is that an agreed case runs a fraction of a contested one, which is why we push for agreement wherever the terms are fair. We will tell you plainly what is worth fighting over.
Medical Negligence and Nursing Home Neglect
When a hospital, physician, or long-term care facility causes harm, the case is built out of records and timelines rather than out of how badly a family was treated. We take birth injury cases, failure to diagnose and delayed diagnosis claims, and nursing home neglect matters involving bedsores, falls, malnutrition, and unexplained injuries.
Maryland requires a certificate from a qualified medical expert before most medical malpractice claims proceed, so the first work is obtaining and reading the complete chart. We will tell you honestly whether the records support a case before you commit a year to one.
Which Prince George's County Courthouse Will Hear Your Case?
Which Charles County Court Will Hear Your Case?
The court named on your paperwork tells you most of what you need to know about what happens next. Charles County matters divide between two courts in La Plata.
- Circuit Court for Charles County, 200 Charles Street, La Plata: felony charges, jury trials, appeals from District Court, contested divorce and custody cases, and larger civil claims including most injury lawsuits that get filed.
- District Court in La Plata: traffic citations, DUI and DWI charges, most misdemeanors, protective order petitions, and smaller civil claims.
A first appearance in either building is usually short. The judge confirms the charge against you, addresses bond or conditions of release, and sets the next date, which is why the work that decides an outcome happens before and after that morning rather than during it. Bring us the paperwork and we will tell you which courtroom you are reporting to and what happens in it.
A Southern Maryland Family Firm in Its Fifth Decade
We have practiced in Southern Maryland for more than 50 years, and Charles County has been part of that footprint the whole time. Our attorneys live in this region rather than driving down for hearings.
More than 50 years in practice, with roughly 40 of them at the same Fort Washington office.
Super Lawyers recognition, earned in a practice built on trial work rather than case volume.
A deliberately limited caseload, so every client works directly with an attorney instead of a case manager.
Free consultations and contingency fees on injury and medical malpractice matters.
Most new Charles County clients arrive on a referral from someone we already represented.
Our office is at 10905 Fort Washington Rd, Suite 103, Fort Washington, MD 20744. Call (301) 292-8300 or email mail@palumbolaw.org.
Why People Call Us First
We’re not a big firm and limit the types of cases we take. This is by choice. Our size lets us focus on what matters most: giving you honest, personal, competent advice from day one. We know these areas inside and out—from the courthouses in Upper Marlboro to the neighborhoods in Charles and Calvert County. Clients refer us to family and friends because we get great results and treat people how they would want to be treated. When you’re ready to talk, we’re here—no judgment, no pressure.
Communities We Serve Across Charles County
Charles County clients come to us from across the county, north of the Nice/Middleton Bridge and out to the western shoreline.
- Waldorf, St. Charles, and White Plains
- La Plata, Port Tobacco, and Hughesville
- Indian Head, Bryans Road, and Pomfret
- Nanjemoy, Newburg, and Cobb Island
Our office sits at 10905 Fort Washington Rd, Suite 103, Fort Washington, MD 20744, a short run up MD-210 from Bryans Road and Indian Head and an easy drive from Waldorf. Call (301) 292-8300 or email
mail@palumbolaw.org.
Questions Charles County Callers Ask Us First
Where will my Charles County case be heard?
Felonies, jury trials, and contested divorce and custody cases go to the Circuit Court for Charles County at 200 Charles Street in La Plata. Traffic citations, DUI and DWI charges, most misdemeanors, protective order petitions, and smaller civil claims are heard in the District Court in La Plata. The court name and address are printed at the top of your citation or summons, and if the paperwork is unclear you can read it to us over the phone.
Do you charge for an injury consultation?
No. Consultations on car accident, injury, and medical malpractice matters are free, and those cases are handled on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. For criminal defense and family law matters we explain the fee arrangement in full before you commit to anything.
How soon should I call after a crash or a charge?
As soon as you can, and before you give a recorded statement to any insurance company. Scene photographs, vehicle damage, and witness memory all fade within days, and in a criminal matter the period before your first La Plata court date is when the most useful work gets done. Call (301) 292-8300 and we will get you in front of an attorney quickly.
Do I have to come to Fort Washington to meet with you?
Our office is on Fort Washington Road with parking on site, and it is a straightforward drive up MD-210 or MD-228 from most of Charles County. Plenty of our Charles County work is handled by phone and email once we have your file, and we are in the La Plata courthouse regularly. We will find an arrangement that fits your schedule.
Can one firm handle both my injury claim and a criminal charge from the same incident?
Yes, and it is common after a serious crash for both to be in play at once. Handling them together means the statements, records, and timeline in one matter are not working against you in the other. We will tell you at the outset how the two cases interact and which one moves first.
Talk to a Charles County Attorney Today
The sooner we see the paperwork, the more we can do with it. Tell us what happened and we will tell you where things stand, what the next step is, and what it will cost.