Evaluation of assistance to those affected by pandemic COVID-19

We prepared the service in March after the declaration of the state of emergency, basically over a weekend, because we did not want to stand idly by and we do not know how to sew drapes. Our intention was mainly to give people strength and encouragement. Saving lives is, of course, a priority. But already in March, the struggle to restore the normal functioning of our world, our rights, and to address the ensuing economic and social upheavals also began. The rule of law is a value in itself, and we wanted to support that as well. Indeed, this is also evident from the first court decisions that bring some of the actions of the executive back within the confines of the rule of law.

What did people ask us?

Most often it was labour law issues, entrepreneurs were interested in the conditions of the ANTIVIRUS programme and employees in their rights and risks associated with, for example, a termination agreement.

For example, the operator of a café in the centre of Prague asked whether it made sense to sue the state for damages. And of course he was not alone.

However, our project Legal Aid for the Disabled COVID-19 was primarily about overcoming the first shocks. In our opinion, it has fulfilled its purpose, which is why we are now coming up with a follow-up project to also help people affected by the coronavirus crisis. This is a tailored solution to the most common needs that arise, at a clearly pre-determined price and terms, as we are used to at the Affordable Advocate.

In just over a month of running the service, we have advised nearly 200 clients and have spent nearly 100 hours working on it, without charge, alongside other advocates who have joined our project. Therefore, we consider our event a success and now we want to continue to help in a new way.

However, there were other questions about support from the state. In this respect, some chaos in the forthcoming measures was frustrating for us and our clients. What was in place on Monday could have been completely different on Tuesday.

Furthermore, there were a lot of recurring problems with the lease agreement (e.g. the housing cooperative was dealing with how to help a small trader who rents a space for a confectionery shop from it), claims against travel agencies, but also issues related to freedom of residence and movement (e.g. specifically the so-called pendlerism). Last but not least, it is necessary to mention issues in the area of family law (e.g. on alternate care or even the possibility of traveling to a foreign spouse).

In some cases, the advice was even adventurous, when we advised people who were directly ill and the circumstances were very frustrating for them.

Dostupnyadvokat.cz: more than 200 people affected by the pandemic have benefited from free legal advice. Most of the inquiries were related to labor relations

How do we continue to help?

Our new project to help all those affected by the current crisis builds on our long experience of providing online legal services. First and foremost, we want to listen to our clients and accurately analyse their needs. Based on this initial consultation, we will then prepare a tailor-made solution for each case that comes to our desk. This will provide not only a basic orientation to the problem, but more importantly what clients need most at this stage of the crisis: firm advocacy and follow-through.

We believe that this is how lawyers can help to bring about a rapid return to prosperity in the current world, especially if they find constructive solutions to their clients’ problems and help them to cut through the jungle of various obstacles that, unfortunately, the bureaucratic shimmer is even now preparing.