(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the Maryland Rules govern the format of a petition and of other pleadings and the procedures to be followed by the court and parties under this subtitle. (2) Each document that a local department serves on a parent under this subtitle shall include information about the website that the Department of Human Services maintains under § 2–302 of the Human Services Article. (b) (1) In any proceeding in which a child is alleged to be in need of assistance or in any voluntary placement hearing, the court may exclude the general public from a hearing and admit only those persons having a direct interest in the proceeding and their representatives. (2) The court shall exclude the general public from a hearing where the proceedings involve discussion of confidential information from the child abuse and neglect report and record, or any information obtained from the child welfare agency concerning a child or family who is receiving Title IV–B child welfare services or Title IV–E foster care or adoption assistance. (c) The clerk of the court shall make a separate file for each case.
Maryland Legal Code