Beijing district offers free legal services in communities

Residents in Beijing's Haidian district now have access to legal services without going to law firms, thanks to a project which invites lawyers to help solve disputes in communities.

A total of 82,000 households in the district's 57 communities became the first batch of residents to have access to such services on Wednesday, according to the Haidian Justice Bureau.

The project, jointly developed by the authority, the Haidian lawyers association and several law firms, will be further extended in the district step by step, the bureau said.

Under the project, residents could ask law-related questions or turn to community lawyers to help solve their family disputes, including those related to marriage, inheritance, house purchase and loans, in a timely manner, it said, adding the service is free.

The authority said it launched the project not only due to rising legal demand of many residents in the district, but also to create awareness of law.

On Wednesday, 30 lawyers from 10 law offices, including the Loyalty and Talent Law Firm, dispatched attorneys specializing in handling disputes of marriage, labor, real estate purchase as well as children and consumer rights protection, to the communities, the bureau said.

More lawyers plan to join the project, it added.