Platforms set up to provide one-stop legal advice

Shanghai launched a series of online platforms on Wednesday to provide one-stop legal services for citizens.

Citizens can find free services on the platforms, covering legal aid, lawyer service, notarization, authentication, mediation, judicial examination checks and credit enquiries.

Users can also find a basic explanation of how the law operates, information on lawyers and how to make appointments for offline services, seek legal advice, apply for legal assistance, or get online notarization for some simple issues.

“Some people might have difficulties in finding reliable lawyers or legal institutions when necessary,” said Lu Weidong, director of the Shanghai Bureau of Justice said at a news conference. “With the online systems, they can choose legal resources as easy as on e-commerce website taobao.com.” 

“They can also seek real-time professional consultation about lawyers, notarization, forensic service, mediation and community-based rectification at home via the platforms,” he said.

The justice bureau and associations of lawyers, notaries, judicial expertise and mediators have cooperated to supply the services and have provided more than 1,000 volunteers to support the operation of the platforms.

Versions in foreign languages are planned in the future.

Shanghai is determined to improve public legal services and last year set up a one-stop legal service center at 470 Xiaomuqiao Road, with 10 service windows and six consulting rooms.

The new platforms include a website (http://12348.justice.gov.cn/), as well as a WeChat account and an application — both entitled “12348shanghaifawang.”