Samah Yasin Okaz/Saudi Gazette MADINAH – A number of widows and divorcées have called upon authorities to provide lawyers who take their cases pro bono because they cannot afford to pay exorbitant fees for legal consultations. Umm Muhammad, a government employee, is a widow and mother of five children. She filed a case against her husband's family over inheritance issues. When the case dragged on for months and nothing happened, she decided to use the services a lawyer to help her expedite the process. “The lawyer asked me to pay him SR5,000 for each consultation and SR70,000 if I win the case. I don't have a quarter of this amount. How am I going to pay him?” she asked. She called on the authorities to provide lawyers for women like her who cannot afford legal fees. Umm Anmar had problems with her husband, who abused her, and she wanted a divorce. She brought a case against him before the court. She cannot use the services of a lawyer or a legal representative because they charge a lot of money and she is worried that her case might drag on for years with no results. Okaz/Saudi Gazette contacted a lawyer to ask him about his consultation fees. He said he charged SR10,000 for a consultation and SR40,000 to take on a divorce case. He attributed the high fees to growing living costs and the effort he will exert to win the case.
