16 clinics will be held from August 2017 to April 2018. The primary mission of any clinic is to provide accurate and robust legal information in areas of the country where people may not have access to practicing lawyers. According to Shoman, respected but untrained people in many communities too often act as amateur legal advisors. „So instead of asking a village president what to do, the village chief can now tell you to come to our legal clinic and get advice from a qualified lawyer.“ The Centre charges for its services according to a fixed scale. The maximum fees are much lower than what would be charged in private practice, and sometimes the fees are waived for the very poor or needy. Clients are asked questions to determine their financial capacity and qualifications for legal aid. Founded in 2002, the Center for Legal Advice and Services provides legal assistance to those who cannot afford to hire a private lawyer. With only four full-time lawyers and three support staff, the Belize City-based agency is struggling to keep up with demand. However, the current list of lawyers represents a fourfold increase in human resources.
For the first seven years of its existence, the centre had only one lawyer serving the entire country. Attorney Baja Shoman has worked at the Legal Advice and Services Centre since law school five years ago. „It gives me the opportunity to give something back,“ she says. „It also allows me to gain experience in various legal matters.“ According to Espat, one of her biggest challenges at work is respecting professional boundaries. „In my first week at Legal Advice, I was shocked because I didn`t think it would be so emotional,“ she recalls. „Sometimes people don`t come for advice, they just want to talk to you about their problems. It`s hard to get someone into your office and cry. You can`t help but feel sympathy for them. I try to stick strictly to legal advice, because that is my job, but it affects you personally. In the second part of this story, we visit the mobile legal advice and services clinic in Hopkins Village. The Centre has taken the first small step towards this goal by partnering with UNICEF Belize. With financial support from UNICEF and the European Union, the Centre for Legal Advice and Services was able to operate a number of mobile legal clinics throughout the country.
At these meetings, lawyers advise free of charge on all legal matters. According to Angel Cowo, UNICEF project manager, the underlying goal is to reach people who need help in situations involving children and young people. „When we discussed the project with the Centre for Legal Advice and Services, we looked at selecting communities that have more cases of child abuse,“ Cowo explained. „There is a fear of stigma in small communities, and if only cases of child abuse are treated, people may be reluctant to seek advice. If you generalize clinics, no one will know if you will get help with a land problem, divorce, or child support. „Expand access to affordable legal services in Belize. Lawyers in Belize are no different from other service providers. Only that lawyers are rarely prosecuted for misconduct. In the words of Richard „Dickie“ Bradley, a veteran lawyer from Belize, „Lawyers in Belize do not fight each other. We belong to a lodge. Unethical lawyers and magistrates, as in any jurisdiction, are not uncommon.
Our recommendation is to do your due diligence and ask many questions before hiring legal counsel in Belize. Belize.com LLC assumes no responsibility for professional competence, reputation or lack thereof, or the quality of services provided by the following Belize lawyers or law firms. Inclusion in this list is not an endorsement by Belize.com Ltd. The names are not listed in any particular order. The information contained in the list of professional qualifications, areas of expertise and language skills is usually, but not always, provided directly by lawyers. Potential clients are advised to conduct due diligence on the background and background of lawyers in order to ensure the best offshore legal and financial services. Most lawyers and law firms tend to be concentrated in Belize City. This organized list is compiled with Belize lawyers in mind, who are members of the Belize Bar Association, are established and shortlisted by corporate clients, some governments and embassies as recommended law firms, and who they believe are reputable lawyers who can offer good value for money. In a developing country like Belize, access to services is a constant challenge for people with limited financial resources.
Just over 40% of the population of this small Central American country lives in poverty[1]. For many families, paying for competent and qualified legal assistance, regardless of the circumstances, is simply not an affordable option. Thank you for uploading your photo of this company! There are currently two offices – a main office in Belize City and a district office in Orange Walk Town. Recommended compilation Belize Lawyers Directory Copyright 2011 – 2025 Belize.com Ltd. If you think you should be considered for inclusion in this directory, use our contact form below. List updated November 4, 2021. [1] Source: Government of Belize/Caribbean Development Bank, The Centre for Legal Advice and Services reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General. Attorney General Nigel Hawke is the person responsible. It`s a responsibility he loves.
„Legal aid is kind of a passion for me,“ he says with a beaming smile. Under Mr. Hawke`s leadership, the Centre has not only succeeded in increasing its staff, but also in increasing the number of legal aid firms nationally. Reception centres have been opened in Belmopan and Orange Walk. Additional facilities will soon open in the southern cities of Dangriga and Punta Gorda. Marin Young & Co LLP 828 Coney Drive 3rd Floor 501-223-3044 Belize law only requires that a pro bono attorney be provided when a person is charged with murder. Even in this case, the lawyer is appointed only at the beginning of the processing phase of a case. While the Centre for Legal Advice and Services is responsible for representing some of those accused of murder, the judiciary may assign these cases to other private lawyers.
Clients who seek help from the centre have needs ranging from issues such as divorce or estate planning to custody and maintenance issues and criminal offences. There is a consulting fee of BZ$50 (US$25), a fraction of what a private lawyer can charge for the same service. Depending on individual circumstances, the centre may waive the fee altogether. To prevent abuse of the system, all clients are subject to a means test to determine whether or not they can afford a private lawyer. WILLIAMS, RODWELL de BARROW & WILLIAMS, 99 Albert Street, Belize City, Belize. Born on 29 September 1956 in Belize City, Belize. U.W.I. Kingston Graduate – B.A. in Economics, U.W.I. Barbados – LL.B., Norman Manley Law School – C.L.E.
Called to the Belize Bar in 1985. Corresponds to English. General medicine. Can provide translator/journalist/stenographer/notary. Will accept cases outside Belize City. Office: 227-5280. Fax: 227-5278, Email: attorneys@barrowandwilliams.com Another tactic is to name them and shame them in order to get your money back: Marcel Cardona Belize lawyer. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, omnes dissentiet mea cu, cu exerci efficiantur suscipiantur vix. Quo ei maluisset persecuti, iriure theophrastus deterruisset duo ut. Ut tota lorem mea. Sea te cibo audiam moderatius, at mei enim habeo accommodare, vel audiam sanctus consetettur in.
Falli habemus no nam, nulla dicunt voluptaria per ea, nam quaeque perpetua no. Eos at convenire incorrupte efficiendi, has ne laboramus delicatissimi. TWIST, OSWALD H. of OSWALD TWIST LAW FIRM, 16 Bishop Street, Belize City, Belize. Born on 9 June 1959 in Belize. Graduate of UWI – LL.B., Norman Manley Law School – C.L.E. Admitted to the Belize Bar in 1996. Corresponds to English. General medicine and criminal affairs.
Can provide notary. Office Phone/Fax: 227-5781 BELMOPAN OFFICE: Phone: 822-1475 Fax: 822-1476 ARGUELLES, EMIL Matalon Tower Belize City, Belize.