• During the health crisis, the number of beneficiaries of the health crisis jumped by 30%.

  • To get closer to the new precarious, the justice, through the Departmental Commission of Access to Must (CDAD) has just set up free hotlines for lawyers where distress is most significant, within charitable associations.

  • This is the case at Secours Catholique and Secours populaire.

    And at the Restos du cœur where

    20 Minutes

    met Anastasia and her lawyer for a day.

“Suddenly I feel less alone”. The relief of Anastasia * is noticeable. This single mother of three children from whom a real estate agency asks an astronomical sum for the restoration of her apartment, already insanitary when it was fitted out, knows that the bailiffs will not come to her house tomorrow morning. A young lawyer has just examined, free of charge, her case, discussed it at length with her at length and put her “different options” on the table. Not in a posh office in downtown Toulouse. She would never have thought of it. But, under the gaze of a portrait of Coluche, in a banal meeting room of the Restos du Cœur.

Anastasia is wiping the plasters of the brand new law offices set up by the Departmental Access to Law Council (CDAD) to deal with the consequences of the health crisis.

In Haute-Garonne, free consultations are already offered in 55 justice points and the three houses of Justice and Law.

“You often have to make an appointment with a municipal agent,” emphasizes Thibault Flour, the volunteer lawyer who receives Anastasia.

"The damage from the health crisis will be considerable"

And at a time when the number of beneficiaries of food aid has jumped by 30%, the idea is to get even closer to the precarious public with these monthly hotlines at Secours Catholique, Secours populaire and therefore at Restos du Cœur. . Where seasoned volunteers, at the turn of a registration, a conversation, an imploring glance, perceive that legal aid is needed. In the case of Anastasia, it was Nicole Verdié, the departmental head of comprehensive personal assistance, who proceeded with the registration. Of course, when it comes to inquiring about the reasons for the suspension of an RSA, his team activates its networks.

“But we have to recognize our limits, we remain volunteers. Lawyers know the law and our role is also to pass the witness on to professionals when necessary, ”confides the dynamic departmental manager. She identified three topics on which lawyers will be essential: the law of foreigners, family and consumers. And she is not worried about filling the niches of the permanence, as she sees a parade of misfortunes and testimonies of violence in her small office. "Autoentrepreneurs, students, the damage of the health crisis will be considerable," predicts the volunteer.

While waiting for the next files.

Anastasia is "reassured".

“It did me good to talk,” she says.

Thibault Flour, her one-afternoon lawyer, will stay in touch with her by email.

He is happy to have taken this tour of duty and to have been able to be “even closer to the people”.

Soon when sanitary conditions allow, he will take his turn on duty directly in the parking lot.

On the benches of a “rights of the heart” truck.

Discreetly.

* The first name has been changed

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  • Covid 19

  • Lawyer

  • Toulouse

  • Justice

  • Poverty

  • Coronavirus

  • Eating from the heart