A Maryland Affidavit of Attempts To Contact Locate And Identify Interested Persons is a legal document used by a petitioner in the state of Maryland to prove that they have taken reasonable steps to locate and identify interested parties in a legal proceeding. This type of affidavit is typically used when a petitioner is unable to identify the individual(s) affected by their legal action, such as when the petitioner is trying to change the name of a minor child. The affidavit must include the efforts that have been made to locate the interested persons, as well as the results of those efforts. There are three types of Maryland Affidavit of Attempts To Contact Locate And Identify Interested Persons: a Summons & Complaint affidavit, a Citation by Publication affidavit, and a Notice by Publication affidavit. A Summons & Complaint affidavit is used when the petitioner is unable to identify the defendant(s) and is required to serve them with notice of the legal action. This affidavit is a sworn statement that the petitioner has made a reasonable effort to identify and locate the defendant(s) through the use of public records, as well as other available resources. A Citation by Publication affidavit is used when the petitioner is unable to identify the defendant(s) and is required to serve them with notice of the legal action through the newspaper. This affidavit is a sworn statement that the petitioner has made a reasonable effort to identify and locate the defendant(s) through the use of public records, as well as other available resources, and that they have published notice of the legal proceeding in a local newspaper. A Notice by Publication affidavit is used when the petitioner is required to publish notice of the legal proceeding in a local newspaper in order to give notice to any affected parties who may not have been identified. This affidavit is a sworn statement that the petitioner has made a reasonable effort to identify and locate the interested persons through the use of public records, as well as other available resources, and that they have published notice of the legal proceeding in a local newspaper.