This article is from page 18 of the 2013-08-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
THE Clare public’s need for information and assistance on legal matters continues to rise across the county, according to Clare Citizens Information Service’s annual report for 2012.
As many as 769 people attended the free legal advice clinics at the citizen’s information centres in County Clare last year.
While the report showed a slight decrease in the number of people requiring free legal assistance with financial matters, it also pointed not just a fundamental need in Irish society for accessible legal information and advice for individuals, but also for fairer systems that allow people to access their rights across a wide range of issues.
The Legal Advice Clinic’s statistics indicate that family issues, employment problems and money worries continue to dominate the agenda, constituting about half of all of its enquiries.
However, some areas of law have seen increased queries, such as housing/landlord and tenant law.
“The phenomenon of the ‘accidental landlord’ has been noted by FLAC – people who have had to rent out their homes to meet rising mortgage payments or invested as pension provision. They do not have the same resources as ‘professional’ landlords nor the funds to get necessary legal information and advice,” pointed out Paul Woulfe, Manager with the Clare Citizens information Service.
The report also recognises the work of volunteer lawyers in offering legal advice in free and confidential centres in Clare, in partnership with Citizens Information Centres.
Mr Woulfe said the centres provide an essential service for people who require legal advice to address a problem that they are facing, but who do not have the resources to pay for a consultation with a private solicitor
He said that most people only become aware of the law when they are in trouble but at that time, they need to be able to use it.
“For many, the law is confusing and intimidating. Alongside the dedicated management and staff of the Citizens Information Service in Clare, local volunteers solicitors provide a bridge between people and the law, so that they can understand their own situations better and can address the problems that they are facing, with dignity.