St. Mary's County Attorneys
We handle family law, injury, and criminal matters for St. Mary's County residents with a caseload we keep small on purpose, so the attorney who takes your call is the attorney who stands up in Leonardtown when your case is called.
Leonardtown Court Dates Are Part of Our Week
Most people looking for a St. Mary's County attorney are working through one of three things: a custody or divorce matter that stopped being workable, an injury that was not their fault, or a charge with a court date attached to it. We have been practicing across Southern Maryland for more than 50 years, and the courthouse in Leonardtown has been on our calendar for decades of that. You will not be handed off to a case manager, and you will not be asked to explain your situation twice.
Which Prince George's County Courthouse Will Hear Your Case?
Custody, Support, and Divorce for St. Mary's County Parents
Family cases are the ones people in this county call us about most. As a St. Mary's County family law attorney, the work usually starts with a schedule that no longer fits the kids, a support figure that no longer matches what either parent earns, or a divorce one spouse is ready for and the other is not.
We take on:
- Custody and visitation schedules, including modifications when a parent moves, changes shifts, or deploys
- Child support, including establishing an order and revisiting one that no longer reflects income
- Contested and uncontested divorce, property division, and alimony
- Protective orders, both for people seeking one and for people responding to one
- Contempt petitions when an existing order is being ignored
Which Prince George's County Courthouse Will Hear Your Case?
Contested custody and contested divorce matters for St. Mary's County families are heard in the Circuit Court in Leonardtown. Working as a St. Mary's County custody lawyer, we will tell you at the first meeting whether your issue is likely to be resolved in an agreement or argued in front of a judge, and we will give you a straight read on both.
Families stationed at Patuxent River Naval Air Station bring us custody and support questions shaped by orders, deployments, and moves that were not anyone's choice. Those cases need a schedule built around a duty cycle rather than a template, and we build them that way. For
custody and support representation for St. Mary's County parents, for
divorce cases heard in the Leonardtown Circuit Court, or for a look at
our full family law practice, start with a conversation.
Family cases are the ones people in this county call us about most. As a St. Mary's County family law attorney, the work usually starts with a schedule that no longer fits the kids, a support figure that no longer matches what either parent earns, or a divorce one spouse is ready for and the other is not.
Which Prince George's County Courthouse Will Hear Your Case?
Hurt on 235, Point Lookout Road, or the Bridge
A St. Mary's County personal injury lawyer sees the same stretches of road over and over. MD-235 through California and Lexington Park during the shift change. MD-5 Point Lookout Road heading south. The Thomas Johnson Bridge in weather. The two-lane roads out toward Chaptico and Ridge, where a single wrong turn at speed does real damage.
We represent people injured in car and truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, falls on someone else's property, and on-the-job accidents. Injury consultations are free and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee, so there is no cost to find out what your claim is actually worth. Call before you give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company, because that conversation is easier to get right the first time than to fix later.
Ask us about
car accident representation along MD-235 and MD-5, or read more about
the full range of injury cases we handle.
Family cases are the ones people in this county call us about most. As a St. Mary's County family law attorney, the work usually starts with a schedule that no longer fits the kids, a support figure that no longer matches what either parent earns, or a divorce one spouse is ready for and the other is not.
Which Prince George's County Courthouse Will Hear Your Case?
Charges and Citations That Start in Leonardtown
DUI and DWI charges, drug possession, assault, theft, and serious traffic citations issued in St. Mary's County almost always begin in the District Court in Leonardtown. What happens at that first appearance shapes everything after it, including whether a case can be resolved without a conviction on your record.
Our criminal work is led by an attorney with prosecutor experience, which means we read a charging document the way the other side reads it. That matters most in the early conversations, before anyone has committed to a position.
If you are holding a citation or a summons, we can tell you what it is and what it is not. Learn more about
criminal defense across Southern Maryland.
Which Leonardtown Courthouse Will Hear Your Case
St. Mary's County has two trial courts, both in Leonardtown, and which one you are headed to depends on what kind of case you have.
Circuit Court for St. Mary's County
The Circuit Court sits at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown. It hears felony cases, jury trials, contested divorce and custody matters, and appeals from the District Court.
District Court in Leonardtown
The District Court handles traffic citations, DUI and DWI charges, most misdemeanors, protective order petitions, and smaller civil claims. There are no jury trials here, and most cases in this building are resolved in a single morning.
Look at the top of your summons or citation. If it names the Circuit Court, expect a longer timeline and the possibility of a jury. If it names the District Court, expect a faster docket and a judge deciding the matter. Either way, a Leonardtown MD lawyer who has stood in both rooms can tell you what your date will actually look like before you walk in.
We take clients from across the county: Leonardtown, California, Lexington Park, Great Mills, Hollywood, Mechanicsville, Charlotte Hall, Callaway, Piney Point, Ridge, Chaptico, and Avenue.
Why St. Mary's Families Send Us Their Neighbors
Our office is in Fort Washington, and we know a St. Mary's County resident will notice that. Southern Maryland is where our attorneys live and raise their families, and these courthouses have been part of our practice for decades.
More than 50 years in practice across Southern Maryland
Recognized by Super Lawyers
A deliberately limited caseload, so every client works directly with an attorney
Free consultations on injury matters, handled on a contingency fee
Familiarity with the judges, prosecutors, and insurance adjusters this county's cases run through
Most new clients arrive on a referral from someone we already represented
That last point is the one we are proudest of. From Charlotte Hall to Ridge, our clients came to us because somebody told them to call.
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.
Questions St. Mary's County Clients Ask Us First
Where will my St. Mary's County case be heard?
Both St. Mary's County trial courts sit in Leonardtown. The Circuit Court at 41605 Courthouse Drive handles felonies, jury trials, and contested divorce and custody matters, while the District Court in Leonardtown handles traffic and DUI charges, most misdemeanors, protective order petitions, and smaller civil claims. Your summons or citation names the court, and we can confirm it for you over the phone.
Do you handle custody cases for parents who live in Lexington Park or Great Mills?
Yes. We represent parents throughout St. Mary's County in custody, visitation, and child support matters, and contested cases from Lexington Park and Great Mills are heard in the Circuit Court in Leonardtown. We also work regularly with families stationed at Patuxent River whose schedules move with their orders.
Is the first injury consultation free?
Yes. There is no charge to sit down with us about a car accident, a fall, or a workplace injury, and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee. You owe nothing unless we recover for you.
Do I have to drive to Fort Washington to meet with you?
Not necessarily. Plenty of first conversations happen by phone, and we are in St. Mary's County for court dates regularly. Tell us where you are and what you are dealing with, and we will work out where to meet.
Talk to a St. Mary's County Attorney
Bring us the schedule that stopped working, the citation you were handed, or the accident report you have not read yet. We will tell you where the case is heard, what the realistic paths are, and what we would do first.
Palumbo, Palumbo, & Lovelace, LLC 10905 Fort Washington Rd, Suite 103 Fort Washington, MD 20744 (301) 292-8300
We take calls from every corner of St. Mary's County, and we will sort out how and where to meet before anyone gets in a car.