Free call-in for legal advice

If you have a problem with the law, you’ll be able to get some free advice this Saturday, thanks to a provincewide call-in hosted by Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan.

Fifteen lawyers and three legal students will open the phones from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., taking calls on criminal, family, civil and immigration law issues.

The call-in day is coincides with National Pro Bono Week.

The idea is to “shine a light” on the need for pro bono work, said Nicole Sarauer, program manager and staff lawyer for Pro Bono Saskatchewan.

“There’s a large gap between those who are able to afford legal representation and those who don’t qualify for Legal Aid,” Sarauer said.

“Many people don’t think about the legal system until it’s forced upon them, be it with a criminal charge or a divorce, and it’s only then that they realize how complex it is.”

While pro bono “isn’t the solution,” Sarauer said the event — and the week as a whole — highlight the need for more funding for Legal Aid.

This is the second provincial call-in hosted by the group. The last one was in 2009, when just over 200 people called for legal advice.

Sarauer is expecting even more callers on Saturday. The volunteers will “answer as many as (they) can,” she said.

“We’ll only be able to have a five-to-10-minute window for each caller, but if they need assistance beyond that, they can always call that same number any other day and we’ll try to assist them. We’ll have lawyers from all areas of practice — criminal, family, immigration, you name it — and we’ll try our very best to provide assistance.”

The number to call is 1-855-833-7257.