On 8 March 1315 Maud was described as "Maud of Neyrford, daughter of the former William of Neyrford Knight, deceased, of the diocese of Norwich." This description occurred during a notice delivered by "Robert, called of the chapel of Jackesle, a clerk of the diocese of Lincoln," to Joan of Bar that she was cited to appear before Thomas Gerdeston, the Archdeacon of Norfolk or his commissary to answer in a case of matrimony and divorce between herself and John de Warenne. This case was brought by Maud herself. However, the notice was read out to Joan while she was in the crypt of Saint Stephen's in Westminster and attending to the queen, which was forbidden. And so Robert was sent to the Tower of London, and Thomas Gerdeston was ordered to appear at the next parliament. Maud had petitioned for the divorce of Warenne and his wife Joan on the basis that she had been precontracted to be married to John. This matter dragged on, and on 20 February 1316 the King allowed Maud's case to begin afresh. He granted Maud, and the Earl of Surrey, along with any other person that they may bring forward in their causes, protection pending the suits. John wished to be divorced from his wife Joan, and tried to bring the suit at the same time as Maud, because he claimed that at the time he agreed to marry her, he was unaware they were related. He also stated he was under age at the time he contracted to marry Joan and was forced into it. On 24 February 1316, the Earl and Maud were granted licence by the King for their suits to take place. There is no record of the hearing of the two cases. But no divorce was granted. In John's case this was probably due to the fact that it was forbidden under church law for a man to bring divorce proceedings based on consanguinity. Concerning Maud's case and her claims of a previous contract, no contract had been found. There were other obvious issues with the Earl's case: A dispensation had been obtained from the Pope at the time of marriage because John and Joan were related. At 19 years of age, John was above the age of consent to be married. And he is recorded as willingly accepting the marriage when it was proposed to him. By