DEMAND for free legal advice on debts and marriage crises have doubled in Limerick, to the extent that a clinic dedicated to dealing with family law has been set up.
A spokesperson for the Citizens Information Centre praised local solicitors and accountants who were volunteering their services.
And despite separating the family law aspect of free legal advice from the clinic which deals with other legal matters, the centre has seen requests for general legal advice rise 100%, and the need for financial advice has shot up by 90% .
Citizen’s Information has been providing advice on rights, legal matters, family law and other matters for 21 years.
Manager, Marian Browne, said that they took the decision to set up a special family law clinic on Thursday mornings because the general legal advice clinic on Wednesday night “was becoming overwhelmed.
“Also, it is often very difficult in a break- up situation for parents to come to get advice in the evenings if there are children involved. They would have to organise babysitters or bring the children along, which creates a problem”.
Citizens’ Information offers the services of two solicitors at each clinic and the advice of an accountant for those in financial difficulty with mortgages, debts or business collapse.
With the new family law advice service reaching its first anniversary, the figures for demand at the legal and financial clinics show how the recession has hit .
From January to December 2009, there were 304 people seen at the free legal advice sessions, and 69 for financial advice.
In the same period last year, the numbers seeking general legal advice had soared to 625, a rise of more than 100%, with 207 attending the dedicated family law clinic set up late last year.
Also in 2010, 129 people desperate for advice on financial matters attended, a rise of more than 90% in the clinic’s clientele.
This is set to increase this year, with 297 people having sought advice in the general legal advice clinic between January and June, and 194 seen at the family law mornings on the same period, with 86 asking for help with their finances.
“This is definitely due to the recession. People are under stress and in need,” Marian told the Limerick Post.
She said that the success of the service is “all down to the dedication of the solicitors and accountants in Limerick who do such phenomenal work. They have all bought into the rota. We have a lot of unsung heroes involved in providing this service, including our volunteers and our own staff who facilitate the clinics by keeping the premises open in the evening”.
