As part of Justice Month, the aid organization Juripop announced the return of its free clinics in the Montreal metro to democratize and facilitate access to legal services.
On the four Thursdays of March, from March 2 to 23, lawyers and notaries will be present at the Place-des-Arts métro station from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. to offer fifteen-minute consultations.
“We decided to keep it at 15 minutes, because it’s very popular and we want to help as many people as possible. Volunteers are trained to answer questions effectively; it seems short, but we can really get people in line in their efforts, ”said Me Sophie Gagnon, general manager of Juripop, in an interview.
Supported by the Chambre des notaires du Québec and the Société des transports de Montréal (STM), nearly twenty volunteer lawyers will be on hand to answer questions about civil, family, criminal, penal and immigration law. . Only tax law will not be offered, said the director.
“They are generalists who are able to answer a wide variety of questions,” she explained. […] The objective is that the person is then taken care of, and that is why we work with, among other things, the local justice centers of Montreal and Montérégie, which offer legal information all year round. . »
People can ask for help with a rent increase, an increase in child support, or changing a will, among other things.
Family law and housing in demand
After holding its clinics over the phone during the pandemic, the organization said it was “eager” to return in person.
“It was popular and a lot of people were calling, but we realized that we weren’t reaching the same type of people. […] In the metro, these are people who will not necessarily make an appointment and who we manage to catch because we are in the field,” declared Me Gagnon.
The pandemic having upset the daily lives of Quebecers, people are seeking more legal services related to family and housing.
“The cost of living has been rising steadily for a year, and it is the most vulnerable people who are the most affected by this increase. […] A subject that we see a lot, unfortunately, is the abuse of seniors. People feel left on their own and don’t know the resources,” she said.
The organization thus invites people to present themselves with their documents to allow professionals to have an overview of the situation and to direct them to existing resources.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.