Access Pro Bono and Vancouver-based Qase have launched the most technologically advanced lawyer referral service in the world.

APB’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) connects 20,000 people to 1,700 BC lawyers each year. Now, APB has teamed up with Qase to bring the service fully online, enabling lawyers to help clients without having to meet in person. Based on technologies used widely in health care, Qase’s platform integrates scheduling, messaging, video chat, document sharing and payment, so both clients and lawyers can work from home.

As one aspect of its full spectrum of free legal services, APB conducts approximately 500 half-hour, face-to-face pro bono clinic advice sessions each month in 55 cities and towns throughout BC. APB has accelerated plans to move them into Qase as well.

“The Qase platform will dramatically improve the timeliness and reach of our services as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by serving critical legal needs with the safety of online connections,” said Jamie Maclaren QC, Executive Director of Access Pro Bono. “Our lawyers, frontline staff and clients will all benefit from the cutting-edge technology. We look forward to using it to improve access to justice during the pandemic and far beyond.”

“The barriers to getting legal help are already high,” added Dan Zollmann, Qase co-founder and CEO. “We now have the technology to ensure communities continue to get the help they need without compromising their health and safety.”

The Qase platform is first managing online lawyer referrals and consultations in the area of family law. APB will add more areas of law in the coming weeks. For now, any British Columbia resident with a family law issue may request a quick online referral for a free consultation with a family lawyer by clicking here: https://bclegalhelp.ca .