The Law Society of England and Wales, working in conjunction with the Legal Services Board and YouGov, carried out a survey in 2023 aimed at gathering information on people’s legal problem experiences, their understanding of the law, how problems intersect with other aspects of their lives and the impacts, and what people need from legal professionals and the justice system. More than 12,000 people across England and Wales participated in the survey.
Survey results were published in April 2024. Key findings include:
- Two thirds of adults in England and Wales experienced a legal problem in the four-year reference period of the survey. This represents a 2-percent increase from the 2019 legal needs survey.
- The most common legal problem types experienced are: employment, finance, welfare and benefits problems.
- When considering external factors (Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation), 12% of people said that their legal issue was caused by COVID-19; 15% felt that their issue was caused by increases in inflation/ the cost of living, and 26% said that their issue was made worse by the cost of living.
- A majority of people who experienced a legal problem received some help for their problem, though fewer people reported receiving help in the 2023 survey than the 2019 survey (62% vs 66%).
- 52% of people indicated that they received help from a professional; 11% of people received help from a non-professional. Young adults are more likely to get help.
The Legal Needs of Individuals in England and Wales: Summary Report 2024 can be downloaded here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/research/find-out-what-your-clients-need-with-the-results-of-our-legal-needs-survey.
For a news article discussing findings from the survey, see: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/yougov-legal-needs-survey-suggests-solicitors-losing-market-share/5119414.article.
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