Free legal aid clinic benefits many, enters fifth year

MADURAI: The free legal aid clinic for parents of people with mental disabilities conducted with the support of the Madurai District Legal Services Authority (MDLSA) has turned a success story with 565 parents benefitting out of it. The exemplary model established in Madurai district in 2010 was the first-of-its-kind legal service in the state when started.The parents of mentally challenged people need legal help in several grounds as there are several complications involved in setting guardians, obtaining disability certificate and free treatment. Property issue is another major area where parents need so much of guidance from legal experts.
It was started to sensitise not only the families of those with mental disabilities but also the judicial officers and lawyers about the problems faced by the parents. The free legal aid clinic at M S Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, a Madurai-based NGO
has so far given support for 98 guardianship issues, 165 disability certificates, 140 free treatments, 53 property issues, 59 pension allocation after death of parents, nine divorce cases and 41 counselling. A panel of lawyers along with paralegal volunteers would meet every Tuesday and Saturdays between 2 and 5pm and provide legal support.
On Wednesday, a function was organised to celebrate the completion of four years of the free legal aid clinic, in which about 225 parents took parents and got clarifications with regard to the legal solutions.