(Montreal) Consulting a lawyer to ask him a question about his personal situation is not always easy: make an appointment, travel, pay the costs, etc. But things are different this weekend.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Updated at 12:50 p.m.
Quebecers can receive free legal advice, without leaving the comfort of their homes, on the occasion of the 39e Telephone legal clinic of the Young Bar of Montreal.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, a little more than fifty volunteer lawyers and notaries will be available absolutely free of charge to answer citizens’ questions.
They will therefore be able to call a number and ask questions concerning their situation in any type of law — civil, criminal or penal — in order to be guided for the next steps.
“For us, the telephone legal clinic is the most concrete and direct way to give back to society in the end,” explains the president of the Young Bar of Montreal (JBM), Ms.e Alexandra Paquette.
The YBM has been offering this service twice a year since 2018. Last year, more than 4,000 calls from citizens were received and handled.
Multitude of subjects
According to Mme Paquette, most of the questions asked during previous editions concerned the family, good neighbourliness, the consumption of goods, work and the management of estates.
“Parents who are separating, who are divorcing, want to know what their rights and remedies are with regard to child custody. And it’s not just for parents: there have been editions where children have called to find out what their rights were, ”she says.
There are many housing rights questions, whether a landlord or tenant wants to know what types of remedies are available to them. In criminal law, a person receives a ticket or is charged with a particular offense and wants to know what the next steps are in the legal process. Labor law, of course, comes up too, like neighbours’ disputes.
Me Alexandra Paquette
If these subjects are considered essential, Mme Paquette points out that the audience’s questions evolve according to the social context.
For example, during the pandemic, many people asked questions related to health measures. And with the real estate market which has ignited in recent months, questions about latent defects have also become more frequent.
“The home buying process goes quickly — maybe there was no inspection — and we are facing a hidden defect. What do we do in this situation? These are the kinds of questions received by lawyers who volunteer their time for the clinic.
All questions are welcome, says Mr.me Paquette, provided they affect the legal world. If not, the lawyers will suggest other avenues to explore.
Help as much as possible
The problem of all the people who will call the service this weekend may not be solved immediately, recalls Mme Paquette, but at least these people will come out of their conversation with possible solutions.
In addition, even if the YBM offices are located in the metropolis, the telephone line is open to all residents of Quebec, which can be practical for people who live far from major urban centers.
“It can be intimidating to drive several hours to see a lawyer, admits Mme Package. Whereas there, this weekend, people just pick up the phone, dial the number, and then talk to us. They will have access to a lawyer as real as if they were in person in his office. »
Since 1898, the YBM has brought together lawyers with ten years or less of practice in Montreal, that is to say more than 5,000 members. One of its objectives is to facilitate accessibility to justice, which partly explains the idea behind the legal clinic.
To contact the legal clinic, interested persons can call 1-844-779-6232.