(a) Except for an appeal from the State Workers’ Compensation Commission or an appeal, by an individual claiming benefits, from a decision of the Board of Appeals of the Maryland Department of Labor, no case may be docketed and no writ of attachment, fieri facias, or execution on judgment may be issued unless the plaintiff or appellant pays the required fee.
(b) The circuit court shall pass an order waiving the payment in advance if:
(1) Upon petition for waiver, it is satisfied that the petitioner is unable by reason of his poverty to make the payment; and
(2) The petitioner’s attorney, if any, certifies that the suit, appeal, or writ is meritorious.