Manitoba will have a new program to help more people with lawyer's bills, beginning next February.

The province's law society, which oversees the legal profession in Manitoba, will offer a matching service to bring together people on limited budgets with lawyers willing to reduce their rates.

"There are people out there who can't afford help, who need help, who should have lawyers and who are representing themselves in the court systems, and that's not good enough," Allan Fineblit, CEO of the Manitoba Law Society, told CBC News.

Fineblit said the service fits with the society's mandate to ensure all Manitobans get the legal help they need.

He said the program is the first of its kind in Canada and was developed by Manitoba Law Society members.

The program will operate separately from Manitoba's government-supported legal aid system. Legal aid is a means-tested program that is usually available only to people with no financial resources and who are facing serious criminal matters.

The law society's program will screen people and assess their need for reduced fees. The law society would also work out a payment schedule and ensure the reduced fees were paid.

"Clients get the legal service they need. They pay an amount each month they can afford [and] the lawyers, while they get a reduced fee, they're assured of getting paid," Fineblit said.