Stephen Lewis checks out a firm of virtual lawyers - that is absolutely free.

A pioneering new website that gives instant access to a free "virtual" lawyer is set to sweep away the cobwebs of British civil law.

Freelawyer, the world's first fully interactive legal website, gives free access at the click of a mouse to legal information covering thousands of problems ordinary people might encounter in their everyday life.

Angry about your neighbour's leylandii? Freelawyer will tell you what you can do. Furious that your ex-husband isn't paying enough for the maintenance of your children? Freelawyer can set out the options. Stuck in a damp, dingy flat where the landlord won't carry out repairs? Freelawyer can tell you if you have a case.

The website, which went on-line yesterday, has been launched by legal services firm Judicium. And it's probably not before time.

A survey commissioned by Judicium reveals that most ordinary English people know more about TV soaps than about their most basic legal rights.

The law, says the survey, is regarded as unwieldy, cumbersome and expensive - and nearly a third of people say they would never use it to defend their rights because they fear it would cost too much.

Freelawyer might just change all that. Click on to the website and you'll find a gloriously jargon-free, easy-to-use guide to thousands of everyday legal problems.

It won't actually be able to go into court for you, of course. But it will help you decide whether you've got a case worth pursuing: and tell you what the next step is.

Choose one of six headings - family, motoring, personal injury, housing, employment or consumer law - and, by simply keying in basic information about your own problem, you'll be able to find out exactly what your legal situation is, and what you could do next. The site assures you complete anonymity and you don't need to leave any personal details - though it will ask you for your postcode so it can suggest local solicitors who could help should you decide to go to court.

In a spirit of investigation, I decided to check the site out. I asked for help with family law. Clicking on that brought up a new menu covering everything from divorce to living together, domestic violence and children and social services.

The living together section tells you about the legal rights and responsibilities of couples living together without being married. I was presented with an easy-to-understand summary of the law, and then a page of simple questions. Did I have a dispute over money? Or property? Had I been paying towards the mortgage or household bills without my name appearing on the legal documents? Had my partner died without leaving me anything? For each question I answered with a yes, Freelawyer gave a summary of the legal situation, and suggested what steps I could take next. Finally, it offered to supply details of local solicitors who were expert in the field.

It was the same with employment, housing and motoring law. The consumer and personal injury sites aren't up and running yet - but Judicium say they will follow in the next few weeks.

Judicium itself stresses that the site is not designed to replace lawyers. It says if you are actually going to court you will need the expert advice only a solicitor who knows your case can give.

But Freelawyer does at least show you where you can start - and give you a good idea of whether you have a case worth proceeding with or not.

Judicium chief executive Leon de Costa said: "There has never been a greater need for quick, jargon-free legal information. Freelawyer covers everything from harassment at work to disputes with neighbours - anyone who is being denied their lawful rights will find the site helpful.

"Whilst Freelawyer is not a substitute for a real solicitor, it does... aim to de-mystify the law and empower people in a way that has never been attempted or possible before."

The new website has even been welcomed by many lawyers themselves.

"If members of the public can have access to a properly-researched, efficient website to help them learn about legal issues, I think that is a wonderful idea," said York solicitor John Yeomans, of Harrowell Shaftoe. "It is empowering. And no, lawyers will not be worried about this taking their business. Anything that can help people to draw their own conclusions about whether they have a problem or not, whether it's an issue where they might benefit from approaching a lawyer on or not, is very sensible and to be welcomed."

You can't say fairer than that.

The Freelawyer website can be reached atwww.freelawyer.co.uk