(a) Issuance of order. — Upon the written request of a judgment creditor of a partner or member holding an economic interest in a limited liability company, the court where the judgment was entered or recorded may issue an order charging the partnership interest or limited liability company interest of the judgment debtor with payment of all amounts due on the judgment. The court may order such other relief as it deems necessary and appropriate, including the appointment of a receiver for the judgment debtor's share of the partnership or limited liability company profits and any other money that is or becomes due to the judgment debtor by reason of the partnership or limited liability company interest.
Rule 3-649.Charging order
District Court · Last amended April 1, 2022 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3-649 lets a judgment creditor of a partner or LLC member reach that person's economic interest in the business through a charging order, without disturbing the business itself.
Full Text of Rule 3-649
(b) Service. — The order shall be served on the partnership or limited liability company in the manner provided by Chapter 100 of this Title for service of process to obtain personal jurisdiction. The order may be served in or outside the county. Promptly after service of the order upon the partnership or limited liability company, the person making service shall mail a copy of the request and order to the judgment debtor's last known address. Proof of service and mailing shall be filed as provided in Rule 3-126. Subsequent pleadings and papers shall be served on the creditor, debtor, and partnership or limited liability company in the manner provided by Rule 1-321.
Amendment History
Amended Nov. 9, 1994, effective Jan. 1, 1995; Nov. 12, 2003, effective Jan. 1, 2004; February 9, 2022, effective April 1, 2022.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is new.
Plain-English Summary
A partner's stake in a partnership, or a member's economic interest in a limited liability company, isn't property a sheriff can just seize. Rule 3-649 gives the judgment creditor a different tool: a written request to the court where the judgment was entered or recorded for an order charging that interest with payment of what's owed. The court can go further than just charging the interest — it can order other relief it finds necessary, including appointing a receiver over the debtor's share of partnership or LLC profits and any other money that becomes due to the debtor because of that interest.
The charging order gets served on the partnership or LLC itself, the same way process is served to obtain personal jurisdiction, and can be served inside or outside the county. Promptly afterward, the person who served it mails a copy of both the request and the order to the debtor's last known address, and proof of that service and mailing gets filed with the court. This keeps the debtor in the loop even though the order runs against the business entity, not the debtor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a charging order?
A court order that charges a judgment debtor's partnership interest or LLC economic interest with payment of the amounts due on the judgment, obtained by written request to the court where the judgment was entered or recorded.
Does a charging order disrupt the partnership or LLC itself?
The order reaches the debtor's economic interest — the right to profits and distributions — rather than seizing partnership or LLC property outright. The court can also appoint a receiver over the debtor's share of profits and other money due the debtor because of that interest.
Who has to be served with the charging order?
The partnership or limited liability company, in the same manner used to serve process for personal jurisdiction. The debtor then has to be mailed a copy of the request and order at their last known address, with proof of that service and mailing filed with the court.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: charging order maryland llc membergarnish partnership interestcollect judgment against llc membership interestcharging order economic interest partnership