<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gbo" article_name="Business Occupations and Professions" number="10-303" title_number="10" title_name="Lawyers" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Trust Money">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to this section a lawyer shall deposit trust money in an attorney trust account, all interest on which is payable to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund established under § 11–402 of the Human Services Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A lawyer shall deposit trust money in an interest bearing account under this section whenever the lawyer reasonably expects that, for the period that the lawyer expects to hold the trust money, the interest that it would earn:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>would not exceed $50; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>would exceed $50; but</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>would not cover the cost of administering an interest bearing account on which interest is payable to the client or beneficial owner.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Administrative Office of the Courts, in consultation with the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, may waive the provisions of subsection (b) of this section with respect to a lawyer or law firm that demonstrates that it will cost the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund more in service charges to open and maintain an attorney trust account with the interest payable to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund than will be generated in interest by the attorney trust account.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>At least quarterly, each financial institution that has an account described under this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>deduct from the total interest accumulated in the account any service charge due on the account; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>pay the net interest to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A financial institution:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>may not charge against the individual accounts of a lawyer any service charges for trust money in an account under this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may charge the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
