If you have ever needed a lawyer, you know the cost can be hundreds of dollars an hour.
If you are poor you may qualify for legal aid but if you don’t qualify the cost can be overwhelming.
A group of lawyers in Saskatchewan is hoping to change that by providing free legal advice.
Two new clinics have been set up in northern Saskatchewan – one in La Ronge and the other in Meadow Lake.
The clinics are for people with limited means but who do not qualify for legal aid.
Two-hundred-and-sixty-four lawyers around the province are volunteering their time to help those in need of legal advice.
The lawyers offer guidance and direction but unfortunately do not have the time to actually represent clients in court.
Nicole Saurer, the executive director of pro bono law in Saskatchewan, says the lawyers are only beginning to fill a large void.
“We’re trying to help us and other pro bono organizations,” she says. “We provide opportunities for lawyers to volunteer their time to address this need knowing that the need will always overwhelm the services we can provide.”
The new clinics in La Ronge and Meadow Lake will video link with lawyers from two law firms in Saskatoon.
People who want to participate have to set up appointments first and Saurer says there has been a big demand for the northern clinics.
The clinics will operate one to two times a month on Thursday afternoons beginning Mar. 7.
The lawyers will provide assistance in all areas of law.
To see if you qualify and to book an appointment call Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan at 1-855-833-7257.