What I need to Know When Using This Directory

This Directory is geared primarily to assist individuals with limited income who are seeking legal assistance. It includes programs that provide free legal help to eligible clients. It also includes a lawyer referral program for those who have the means to pay for a lawyer and simply need some help to locate one who can handle their particular legal problem.

Explanation of the Program Categories
Each program entry is listed in the same manner with the organization's name, address, telephone number, contact person plus

• service area,
• type of service provided,
• case type,
• eligibility screening, and
• intake hours.

SERVICE AREA: Service area will indicate in which jurisdictions the program operates. In certain instances, programs will only serve limited geographic areas. On the other hand, many of the programs listed in the Directory are state wide. This means that they offer services throughout Maryland, even if their office is located in Baltimore or elsewhere. For example, the House of Ruth Domestic Violence Legal Clinic helps people on a state wide basis while working in conjunction with domestic violence centers in various locales. If domestic violence is an issue, an individual would seek assistance from the House of Ruth or one of the locally-based programs listed under "Domestic Violence Services."

TYPE OF SERVICE: Service type indicates the type of legal assistance you can expect to receive from the program. For instance, certain programs will offer only legal advice and consultation while others will represent you in court. You may also ask about help in filing a case on your own (pro se) in certain circumstances.

CASE TYPE: This category explains the area of the law in which advice or assistance will be offered. For instance, certain programs will offer assistance with family or domestic law (i.e., divorce, child custody, child support, etc.), while others will handle a variety of civil matters including cases of discrimination, landlord/tenant disputes and public benefits.

ELIGIBILITY SCREENING: A majority of the programs listed in this Directory have income-eligibility guidelines in order to qualify for free or reduced fee legal help. This entry will indicate whether the program will require such screening and which standards they sue to decide if you are eligible for services.

Maryland legal services programs generally use one of two family income guidelines to determine eligibility for legal assistance.

1) One hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the federal family income poverty level - This guideline is established annually by the federal government to define poverty as a criteria for various federal assistance programs. This is the eligibility standard required by the federal Legal Services Corporation Act and regulations, and is applied by the Legal Aid Bureau and some other state legal services programs.

2) Not more than 50% of Maryland's median family income - This figure is also established annually as the state's median income changes.

This eligibility level is set by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation Act (MLSC) and is used by numerous MLSC grantees. This standard allows a higher family income eligibility than the federal standard.

Both income standards are based on family size (i.e., higher for a family of five than for a family of two), and consider all "cash sources" of income received by all members of the family household as income (e.g., salary, interest income, social security, welfare payments, etc.). In some instances, income received by one family member may be disregarded if not actually available to the person seeking legal assistance. For example, some organizations will not count the income of the opposing spouse in a domestic violence matter.

In addition to income, legal services programs generally consider the availability of the other family resources, such as bank accounts, stock, bonds, or income-producing property, which could be used to help pay for legal services, in determining eligibility. Some programs, which offer reduced fee services, in addition to no-fee services, may apply a somewhat higher eligibility standard for these services.

Some programs use another eligibility standard between the federal standard and the Maryland maximum.

INTAKE HOURS: Please be sure to note the intake hours of each individual program as they vary significantly. These hours are also subject to change.

Possibility of Being Denied Assistance (Service Limitations)

Remember: You may be turned down for help. Unfortunately, Maryland law does not provide a right to legal assistance in civil matters. Due to inadequate resources, many persons with legal problems are not able to receive free legal help.