Active SLED Opportunity · MARYLAND · CECIL COUNTY
AI Summary
Cecil County Circuit Court seeks part-time qualified attorneys for Family Law Clinic to provide limited legal consultation to self-represented litigants in family law matters. Compensation is $165/hour. Submissions due by May 28, 2026 via OpenGov Procurement Portal.
Circuit Court for Cecil County is seeking qualified attorneys to assist with Family Law Clinic.
Cecil County, Maryland is required to adhere to Cecil County Code, Section 92 Purchasing, concerning good public purchasing practices using a competitive process (RFQ). All available information may be reviewed on the Cecil County, Maryland website (www.ccgov.org).
These General Conditions are a part of the Contract. In case of any conflict with the Special Provisions, the Special Provisions shall govern.
All quotes submitted electronically shall be submitted via OpenGov Procurement Portal. Submittals received through other means shall not be opened.
The electronic time and date stamp will serve as the verification of the submittal requirement.
ELECTRONIC SUBMITTAL PROCESS
To be considered, Quotes shall be received by the closing date and time via OpenGov Procurement Portal.
Late Quotes will not be considered. Bidders are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last minute to submit quotes. The time stated on the OpenGov Portal will be definitive of the time of receipt.
After submitting a Quote via OpenGov Procurement Portal and upon successful receipt by the County thereof, Bidder will receive an auto-receipt email from OpenGov Procurement. This receipt is proof that the quotes has been received by the Purchasing Division and should be retained for Bidder’s records. The County has no obligation to consider any quote for which an auto-receipt was not generated.
The Contract may be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s) whose bids comply with all the requirements prescribed. In acceptance of bids, the County will be guided by consideration of the interest of the public and the County shall be under no obligation to accept the lowest bid.
Bids may be rejected if they show any omissions, alterations of form, additions not called for, conditional or alternate bids, or irregularities of any kind. To ensure fair competition unresponsive bids or bids obviously unbalanced may be rejected. If there is any discrepancy between the unit price and the extended price, the unit price shall prevail.
Cecil County, Maryland, reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to procure no or any quantity of goods or services that are the subject of this RFQ, as deemed in its best interest of the County by the Purchasing Agent.
All contracts and/or quantities are contingent on budgeting constraints. All awards are based on Total Bid Amounts. The County reserves the right to add or delete items from the bid package due to budget constraints, which may result in changing the Total Bid Amount. The awarded vendor will be notified of any changes resulting in a bid price change.
The Circuit Court for Cecil County, through Family Support Services, is seeking qualified attorneys or law firms to provide limited-scope legal consultation services in its Family Law Clinic. The selected attorney(s) will assist self-represented (pro se) litigants in navigating family law matters, completing court forms, and understanding court procedures. This program is designed to improve access to justice and ensure filings are accurate and efficient.
The contracted attorney(s) shall provide legal information and limited legal advice related to family law matters, including but not limited to custody, visitation, divorce, child support, adoptions, guardianships, name changes, domestic violence matters, and appeals (procedural guidance only).
Responsibilities include:
(a) The Bidder must be in compliance with the laws regarding conducting business in the State of Maryland.
All Bidders shall provide a copy Certificate of Status from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, evidencing the Bidder is in good standing with the State of Maryland.
See: https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Pages/Internet-Certificate-of-Status.aspx for information on obtaining the Certificate of Status. Certificates are not available for trade names, name reservations, government agencies, sole proprietorships, and some other accounts as these are not legal entities and thus are not required for these categories of bidders. For more information on the Certificate of Status please see https://dat.maryland.gov/Pages/sdatforms.aspx.
(b) All bidders shall provide a copy of current business license for State of Maryland.
(c) Cecil County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to extend the date this documentation must be provided. The Bidder’s inability to provide this documentation could result in the bid being rejected.
(d) All proposers must be in good standing with Cecil County, Maryland. Proposers must meet any outstanding taxes, fees, or accounts with Cecil County.
The attorney(s) shall be available for the following:
A Notice to Proceed/Purchase Order will be sent to the Contractor by Cecil County, Maryland.
Family Support Services staff will be available during each clinic session to assist with logistics, interpreter coordination, surveys, Zoom/technology, and general support.
A Purchase Order will be sent to the contractor upon award of the contract. All payments will be remitted within thirty (30) days (net 30) upon receipt of an invoice. Payment/Final payment will be remitted upon acceptance of the completed project and receipt of final invoice.
All invoices shall be submitted to: Cecil County, Maryland
Family Support Services
Circuit Court for Cecil County
129 East Main Street
Elkton, MD 21921
Attn: Nataly Jimenez
All quotes are required to be submitted electronically via OpenGov Procurement.
All questions shall be asked using the question & answer feature via OpenGov Procurement by 3:00 pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
The selected attorney(s) must complete a survey after each session regarding the type of assistance provided to track trends and improve service delivery to the individuals we serve.
Feedback surveys may be utilized by pro se litigants to evaluate services.
Compensation is anticipated to be $165.00 per hour, subject to final budget approval. By submitting a response, the applicant acknowledges and agrees to the stated hourly rate. Billing will be monthly and in accordance with County procedures.
Bid prices shall remain firm for one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the bid opening. All contracts and/or quantities are contingent on budgetary constraints.
Pricing must include all labor, delivery, materials, tools, and equipment to perform work.
The selected vendor shall maintain appropriate professional liability insurance consistent with Cecil County requirements. Proof of insurance is required prior to execution of a contract.
The Contract may be awarded to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder. Cecil County, Maryland reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities. All contract awards are based upon budgetary constraints.
Must be licensed and in good standing with the Maryland Bar.
Must be in good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) and eligible to receive payment for contracted services.
Family law experience preferred.
The County reserves the right to extend all the terms, conditions, specifications, and unit or other prices of any contract resulting from this bid to any and all public bodies, subdivisions, school districts, community colleges, colleges, universities including non-public schools. This is conditioned upon mutual agreement of all parties pursuant to special requirements which may be appended thereto. The supplier/contractor agrees to notify the issuing body of those entities that wish to use any contract resulting from this bid and will also provide usage information, which may be requested.
The County assumes no authority, liability, or obligation, on behalf of any other public or non-public entity that may use any contract resulting from this bid. All purchases and payment transactions will be made directly between the contractor and the requesting entity. Any exceptions to this requirement must be specifically noted in the bid response.
Solicitation packages can be downloaded on Cecil County's OpenGov Procurement Portal (https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cecil/projects/255411 ) as a PDF document no charge.
Changes or addendums to this bid will be posted on the County's OpenGov Procurement Portal.
The County is not responsible for information obtained from sources outside the Cecil County Purchasing Office, including downloads from the County website. Vendors are directly responsible for obtaining updates, changes, or addendums either from the updated webpage or by contacting the Purchasing Office.
In buying products directly from a vendor Cecil County, Maryland is exempt from being directly charged Federal excise and Maryland sales tax. A copy of an exemption certificate shall be furnished upon request.
According to the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, a Contractor is responsible for paying sales tax on purchases relating to any projects or services and should incorporate it into their bid.
Contractors cannot use the County tax exemption to buy materials or products used on County projects.
For additional information, see State of Maryland Sales and Use Tax in #Attachments section.
Cecil County, Maryland intends that the contractor awarded a contract, will perform the work commencing upon the date specified in the Notice to Proceed or notification of award and terminate upon expiration or completion of the project or product delivery, unless terminated by the County with the delivery of written notification of contract termination.
All contracts extending beyond the County’s fiscal year (June 30th annually) shall be subject to budget appropriation. In the event the on-going contract does not acquire funding to continue, the awarded contractor shall be notified in writing at the earliest possible date and contract termination shall be coordinated.
This is a service type contract under which Cecil County, Maryland is obligated during the term of the contract (July 1, 2026 or final execution of contract documents through June 30, 2027) as listed within these specifications. Additionally, the Contractor is obligated to perform the services as agreed upon within the proposal, which the Cecil County, Maryland requires in its operation. Should an emergency arise and the Contractor cannot perform the required service as outlined within this agreement, the County reserves the right to contract these services from other sources to meet these needs without prejudice of this contract.
Prices quoted shall be net, including transportation and delivery charges fully pre-paid by the seller, f.o.b. destination (PROJECT SITE) unless otherwise stated in the specifications or bid form. No additional charges will be allowed for packing, packages, or partial delivery costs. By submitting their quote, all vendors certify and warrant that the price offered for f.o.b. destination includes only the actual freight rate cost at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped. Standard commercial packaging, packing, and shipping containers will be used, except as otherwise specified herein.
The Circuit Court reserves the right to accept or reject any submission, request additional information, waive minor irregularities, and select one or multiple contractors as deemed in the best interest of the Court. All awards are subject to funding availability.
The Circuit Court complies with all federal, state, and local non-discrimination laws.
The Bidder’s attention is called to the fact that the quantities given are estimated quantities and are intended as a guide to the bidder, but in no way bind or limit the County to the actual amount of work to be performed or the quantity of material to be furnished. Any estimates of quantities herein furnished by the County are approximations only and have been used by the County as a basis for estimating the cost of the work and will also be used for the purpose of tabulating and comparing the bids and awarding the Contract. The County has endeavored to estimate these quantities correctly according to the information shown on the plans, but it is not guaranteed that these estimated quantities are accurate and, if the Contractor in developing and/or submitting a bid relies upon the accuracy of said estimated quantities, the Bidder does so at their own risk.
Cecil County, Maryland reserves the right to add or delete locations to the contract.
The County reserves the right to change the alignment, grade, form, length, dimensions, or materials of the work under the Contract whenever any conditions or obstructions are met that render such changes desirable or necessary. In the event, such alterations make the work less expensive to the Contractor, a proper deduction shall be made from the Contract prices and the Contractor shall have no claim on this account for damages or for anticipated profits on the work that may be dispensed with. In the event, such alterations make the work more expensive, a proper addition shall be made to the Contract prices. Any such deduction or addition shall be determined by the County, which shall remain the final authority in such determination.
In carrying out any of the provisions of this Contract or in exercising any power of authority granted to him thereby, there shall be no personal liability upon the County, or his authorized agent being understood that in such matters he acts as the agent or representative of the County.
Cecil County is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act and may be required to release bid submissions in accordance with the Act.
Any materials the Vendor deems to be proprietary or copyrighted must be marked as such; however, the material may still be subject to analysis under the Maryland Public Information Act.
Before submitting proposals, prospective bidders should carefully examine the Proposed Contract Documents, inspect the site of the proposed project, acquaint themselves with all governing laws, ordinances, etc., and otherwise thoroughly familiarize themselves with all matters which may affect the performance of the work. The act of submitting a proposal shall be considered as meaning that the bidder has so familiarized himself and, therefore, no concession will be granted by the County because of any claim of misunderstanding or lack of information. Bidders are expected to read and study the specifications with special care and to observe all their requirements. Discrepancies, ambiguities, errors or omissions noted by bidders should be reported promptly to the County for correction or interpretation before the date of the opening of bids.
The Contractor shall be responsible for any and all injuries to persons and damages to property resulting from the performance of the work specified, materials applied and/or equipment used.
The Contractor, at all times, shall observe and comply with all federal, state, municipal and/or local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations in any manner affecting the work to be done and all such orders or decrees as may exist at present and those which may be enacted later, of bodies or tribunals having jurisdiction or authority over and shall indemnify and save harmless the Owner and all its officers, agents and employees against any claim or liability arising from or based on the violation of any such laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, order or decree, whether such violations by the Contractor or by any sub-Contractor or any of their agents and/or employees.
Cecil County, Maryland reserves the right to terminate this contract by a ten (10) day written notice should the quality of the work/products become inferior, or the delivery service becomes poor.
Should the Contractor believe that it is entitled to any additional compensation or time, over or beyond the compensation or time stipulated in the Contract documents, or for compensation or an extension of contract time over or beyond that allowed or approved by the County for damages, losses, expenses, or delays alleged to have been sustained by it in connection with this Contract, the Contractor shall file a written notice of claim thereof with the County prior to incurring any costs for which it may claim a right to additional compensation. The written notice shall be on company letterhead and addressed to the authorized County Representative. Unless otherwise specified or required, in the events of alleged delay to the schedule, such notice shall be given no later than twenty (20) days after the onset of such alleged damages, losses, expenses, or delays.
Unless otherwise specified, within thirty (30) days after giving the required notice, but not later than final payment, the Contractor shall file with the County a written, itemized statement of the details and amount of such claim of damage, loss, expenses, or delay. Unless the Contractor timely files its written notice of claim and statement of costs as prescribed herein, the Contractor’s claim for such additional compensation shall be absolutely invalidated; and it shall not be entitled to any compensation on account of such alleged damage, loss, expenses, or delay.
The County shall ascertain the facts and shall approve an equitable adjustment to the Contract amount and/or time when, in the judgment of the County, the findings of fact warrant it. The County shall issue a written decision on the claim within thirty (30) days after receipt of the Contractor’s itemized statement of the claim unless extended by mutual written agreement. If the County does not issue a decision within thirty (30) days or any extension thereof, the County shall be deemed as having made a final decision denying the claim. The County’s decision shall be final and conclusive on the parties, except as provided in “Breaches and Dispute Resolution”.
The Contractor shall not sublet, sell or assign all or any portion of the Contract, or the work provided therein, without the consent of the County. Subletting or assigning more than fifty percent (50%) of the dollar value of the Contract work shall not be permitted. Where subcontractors are used, the contractor shall submit all insurance information for all subcontractors.
The County shall have authority to suspend the work wholly or in part for such period or periods as it may deem necessary, due to unsuitable weather or such other conditions as are considered unfavorable for the prosecution of the work, or for such time as is necessary due to the failure on the part of the Contractor to carry out orders given or to perform any or all provisions of the Contract. The Contractor shall immediately comply with the written order of the County to suspend work wholly or in part. In all cases of suspension of construction operations, the work shall not be resumed again until the County gives written permission.
Should the Contractor fail to make satisfactory progress, or to comply with orders of the County, or should he neglect or refuse to remove materials, or to perform anew such work as has been rejected as defective and unsuitable, or if the Contractor shall become insolvent or be declared bankrupt, or shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or from any other cause shall not carry on the work in an acceptable manner, the County shall have the right to annul its Contract without process or action at law, and to turn over to the surety for completion or, at County’s option, or in case performance is guaranteed by negotiable securities, to take over the work and complete it, either by day labor or by re-letting all or any part of the work. Upon receiving notice to this effect, the Contractor shall vacate possession and give up the said work, or the parts thereof specified in said notice, peaceably to the County. Neither by taking over of the work by the County, nor by the annulment of the Contract shall the County forfeit the right to recover damages from the Contractor or Contractor’s Surety for failure to complete the Contract. Should the cost of completing the work be in excess of the original Contract price, the Contractor and Contractor’s Surety shall be held responsible for such excess cost.
If the contractor fails to perform or violates any provisions under this contract, failure or violation may be considered a material breach establishing grounds for contract termination. If the contract is terminated, Cecil County, Maryland may award to the second ranked vendor for this RFQ without re-solicitation.
After the work has been started, it shall be performed continuously on all acceptable working days without stoppage until the entire contract is completed. In case the Contractor neglects or fails to work continuously on all acceptable working days, the Executive of Cecil County through the Cecil County Administrator may terminate the Contract and use any method that he deems necessary to complete the Contract.
The County may appoint such persons as he may deem necessary to properly inspect the materials furnished or to be furnished, and the work performed under this Contract, and to see that the same strictly corresponds with the drawings and specifications; such materials and workmanship shall be always subject to the approval of the County, but no inspection, approval or acceptance of any part of the work herein contracted for, or of the materials used therein or any payment on account thereof, shall prevent the rejection of said work or materials found to be defective, or not, in accordance with the requirements of the Contract. Work and materials will be inspected promptly, but if for any reason delay should occur, the Contractor shall have thereby no claim for damages or extra compensation. The Contractor shall provide and be responsible for all costs associated with material testing as required by this Contract.
The contractor shall warrant all work for one (1) year or the standard warranty of the manufacturer, whichever is longer. Failure to correct warranty issues promptly and to the satisfaction of the Department on this or other contracts may result in finding the Contractor non-responsive for future contracts/bids. All required Bonds shall remain active to cover the agreed warranty period. Any issue discovered and documented during the warranty period shall require the existing bonds to remain active beyond the agreed warranty period until the issues are resolved and agreed upon by all parties. All releases of contract bonds shall be in writing from Cecil County, Maryland or a release of bond document signed by a Cecil County, Maryland authorized representative.
The County promotes policies which assure and encourage the full participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) in the provision of goods and services. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, as defined in 49 CFR 23, shall have equal opportunity to compete for and perform sub-contracts which the Contractor(s) enters into pursuant to this contract. The Contractor(s) shall use their best efforts to solicit bids from and to utilize DBE sub-contractors(s) or sub-contractors(s) with meaningful minority group and female representation among their employees.
By selecting confirm, the bidder agrees to the following:
The bidder declares that the only person, firm, or corporation, or persons, firms, or corporations, that has or have any interest in this proposal or in the Contract or Contracts proposed to be taken is or are the undersigned; that this proposal is made without any connection or collusion with any person, firm, or corporation making a proposal for the same work; that the attached specifications have been carefully examined and are understood; that as careful an examination has been made as is necessary to become informed as to the character and extent of the work required; and that it is proposed and agreed, if the proposal is accepted to contract with Cecil County, Maryland, in the form of Contract heretofore attached, to do the required work in the manner set forth in the specifications.
The bid price on the attached and signed Proposal Forms is to include and cover the furnishing of all equipment, materials, and labor requisite and proper and the providing of all necessary machinery, tools, apparatus, and means for performing the work, and described, and shown in the plans and specifications within the prescribed time. If this proposal shall be accepted by said County and the undersigned shall refuse or neglect within ten days after receiving the Contract for execution to execute the same, and to give stipulated bond, then said County may at their option determine that the bidder has abandoned the Contract; and thereupon the proposal and the acceptance thereof shall be null and void; and the deposit accompanying the proposal shall be forfeited to and become the property of the County.
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The VENDOR declares that the only person, firm or corporation, or persons, firms or corporations, that has or have any interest in this proposal or in the Contract or Contracts proposed to be taken is or are the undersigned; that this proposal is made without any connection or collusion with any person, firm or corporation making a proposal for the same work; that the attached specifications have been carefully examined and are understood; that as careful an examination has been made as is necessary to become informed as to the character and extent of the work required; and, that it is proposed and agreed, if the proposal is accepted to contract with Cecil County, Maryland, in the form of Contract heretofore attached, to do the required work in the manner set forth in the specifications.
The proposal price on the attached and Proposal Forms are to include and cover the furnishing of all equipment, materials, and labor requisite and proper and the providing of all necessary machinery, tools, apparatus, kitchen utensils and means for performing the work, and described and shown in the plans and specifications within the prescribed time. If this proposal shall be accepted by said County and the VENDOR shall refuse or neglect within ten days after receiving the Contract for execution to execute the same, and to give stipulated bond, then said County may at their option determine that the VENDOR has abandoned the Contract; and, thereupon, the proposal and the acceptance thereof shall be null and void; and, the deposit accompanying the proposal shall be forfeited to and become the property of the County.
In the case of firms, the firm’s name must be subscribed to by at least one (1) member. In the case of corporations, the corporate name must be by some authorized officer or agent thereof, who shall also subscribe his name and office.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the undersigned Organization agrees to indemnify and hold Cecil County, Maryland, its elected and appointed officials, employees, and volunteers, and others working on behalf of Cecil County, Maryland, harmless from and against all loss, cost, expense, damage, liability or claims, whether groundless or not, arising out of the bodily injury, sickness or disease (including death resulting at any time therefrom) which may be sustained or claimed by any person or persons, or the damage or destruction of any property, including the loss of use thereof, based on any act or omission, negligent or otherwise, of the Organization, or anyone acting on its behalf in connection with or incident toRFQ 27-002Family Law Clinic Attorney Services-Part-Time, except that the Organization shall not be responsible to Cecil County, Maryland on indemnity for damages caused by or resulting from Cecil County, Maryland's sole negligence; and the Organization shall, at its own cost and expense, defend any such claims and any suit, action, or proceeding which may be recovered in any suit, action, or proceeding, and any and all expense including, but not limited to, costs, attorney's fees and settlement expenses, which may be incurred therein.
Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This procurement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, and the parties submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Maryland. This agreement may not be modified except in writing executed by the parties.
This is to certify this project reflects changes created by the addenda.
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9 November, 2023 at 2:00 PM EST
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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