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<section article="gfl" article_name="Family Law" number="7-103.2" title_number="7" title_name="Divorce" subtitle_number="1">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section applies to an action for divorce in which issues of child support, custody, or visitation are raised.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Prior to granting a decree of divorce, the court may require all parties to participate in an educational seminar that is designed to educate parents about the effects, and to minimize the disruption, of a divorce on the lives of children.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Supreme Court of Maryland shall adopt rules to implement this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Rules adopted in accordance with this subsection shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>provide for the content of the seminar required under this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>require successful completion of the seminar by all parties to the action within a certain time after the service of the original complaint upon the defendant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>establish sanctions for failure to successfully complete the seminar required under this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>for purposes of funding the cost of the seminar, establish a fee that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>shall be assessed as costs; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>may be waived under appropriate circumstances; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>establish criteria for exemption from the requirement that the parties participate in an educational seminar, except that a court may not exempt the parties from attending the educational seminar if there is any evidence of domestic violence or child abuse or neglect.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The seminar required under this section may be provided under contract with a public or private agency.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Unless the parties stipulate otherwise, any information about a party, including statements or reports, obtained from an educational seminar required by this section, is not admissible during the action for divorce of that party.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>This section may not be construed to require the parties to an action for divorce to attend the educational seminar together.</text>
  </level>
</section>
