Terms Used In Maryland Code, FAMILY LAW 5-305

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • state: means :

    (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or

    (2) the District of Columbia. See
(a) In this section, “order” includes any action that, under the laws of another jurisdiction, has the force and effect of a comparable judicial order under this subtitle.

(b) In accordance with the United States Constitution, this State shall accord full faith and credit to:

(1) an order of another state as to adoption or guardianship in compliance with the other state’s laws; and

(2) termination of parental rights in compliance with the other state’s laws.

(c) As to a jurisdiction other than a state:

(1) an order for adoption or guardianship entered in compliance with the jurisdiction’s laws shall have the same legal effect as an order for adoption or guardianship entered in this State; and

(2) termination of parental rights in compliance with the jurisdiction’s laws shall have the same legal effect as termination of parental rights in this State.

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