<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ghu" article_name="Human Services" number="11-603" title_number="11" title_name="Maryland Legal Services Corporation" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Legal Services">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Corporation shall establish maximum income levels for client eligibility.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The income levels shall be based on the financial ability of a client to pay for competent private counsel and all other necessary expenses of representation.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The maximum income levels established under this section and eligibility guidelines established by each grantee to implement this section shall take into consideration:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the size of the client’s family;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>cost of living variations, including differences between urban and rural areas;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the assets and income of the client;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the fixed debts and medical expenses of the client; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>other factors relevant to the client’s ability to pay for the legal services the client requires.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Corporation may not set the maximum income levels for eligibility under this section at a level greater than 50% of the median family income for the State as certified annually by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.</text>
  </level>
</section>
