The first self-service law office in Chongchuan district, Nantong, Jiangsu province has recently been set up in Xuetian sub-district. The office provides online legal consulting services.

The office looks like an automatic teller machine and covers an area of less than 1 square meter. Nantong's legal resources are available on the self-service platform, which makes use of the internet, big data, and cloud computing.

"The office is equipped with a high-definition touch screen terminal, an ID card reader, and uploading and printing devices. It provides consulting services, allows people to share materials, provides writing utensils, and allows people to schedule appointments," an employee said.

Users can login with their ID information and ask legal questions, receiving replies immediately.

For a small fee, the system can select the most suitable lawyer (from a pool of more than 1,000) for any given situation to provide consulting services via a face-to-face video chat, pictures, text messages, or voice messages. Users can also make appointments with lawyers for offline consultation.

The launch ceremony for Chongchuan's piloting of public legal services was held last September, and seven lawyers were dispatched to provide services in 33 integrated grids within the sub-district.

The self-service law office will also be used to spread legal knowledge through photos, texts, online lessons, and videos.

 A resident of Xuetian sub-district makes use of the self-service law office. [Photo/ntfabu.com]