If you need an indication of just how vital solicitors are in helping people every day, look no further than this large survey by the Legal Services Board & the Law Society – the largest one of its kind.

Overall, the survey shows that the service given by solicitors continues to be held in the highest regard. However, there are lessons to be learned too, and ways in which we can continue to reach out and help potential clients. The research shows that almost 1 in 3 people who come across an issue will either want further help, wait 2+ years for a resolution, or not look for help at all.

This survey shows us the views of some 28,633 members of the public, having been based around YouGov data from February and March last year (2019). It is the first to utilise OECD guidance regarding how we conduct surveys on legal needs, segmenting people by income and the extent to which consumers are equipped to make decisions.

Solicitors Come Out on Top

Perhaps the most significant fact we can pull from this survey is that solicitors rank highest when it comes to people being truly satisfied with their service. 9 out of 10 indicated that they were satisfied with the service they were given by a solicitor, and 84% believed that they had received value for their money. People who sought out professional help were much more likely to get what they feel was a fair result – 66% of people who got the help of professionals were satisfied with the result.

The worst ratings were reserved for providers that are unregulated. 1 in 5 said they were dissatisfied with the service they were given by these places.

On the whole, 2 in 3 people had come across legal issues over the previous 4 years. A massive portion of these were deemed to be contentious. The breakdown for these is as follows: professional or faulty goods or services (26%), a neighbour’s anti-social behaviour (14%), buying and selling property (11%), employment issues (11%) and wills (11%).

Of all the places and professions people sought advice from, solicitors were the most likely to be consulted by the public – with 30%, or even higher at 40% for issues considered contentious.

Legal Stats for the Ages

As tends to be the case, older people proved more likely to seek out a solicitor. 4 in 10 people at 65+ stated that a solicitor was their main source of advice, which fell dramatically amongst 30-49 year-olds at 26%, and further still with 18-29 year-olds at just 18%. This is due to young people choosing to seek out help outside of professional circles.

The majority of people did not pay for the service of their advisor first hand. Most of these people (49%) got their advice for FREE, whilst another 7% got theirs through an insurance provider or family & friends.

Just 1 in 5 people who were provided with professional advice looked around at alternative options.

That being said, the majority of people who used a solicitor looked at two providers or more, at 57%. Meanwhile, 1 in 10 explored four or more.

Of the few reasons given for any lack of satisfaction with the service given by a legal professional, none related to price but instead a sense that their designated adviser had not done enough (32%) or that they took too much time to do their job (31%).

The Case for Legal Education

The study also discovered a link between legal capability and the outcomes of cases – indicating once again a need for stronger education when it comes to legal practices. People with less legal knowhow and lower-income understood their individual rights far less, and thus were also less likely to look for professional help. In turn, this resulted in the majority feeling dissatisfied.

9 in 10 adults believe that legal aid is good, but of the people earning £32,000 or less who were eligible for this aid, 85% mistakenly believed themselves to not be eligible. Further to this, those with more legal ‘confidence’ were more likely to know their rights than those with less.

Another issue that proved to be somewhat common is a lack of understanding regarding regulation. 1 in 3 people were unsure of whether their adviser was regulated, or in some cases did not check at all. The majority just assumed they were regulated. Again, this is an issue that further legal education would look to fix going forward.

If you are looking for expert legal advice, then look no further than Tinsdills Solicitors. Feel free to give us a call today on 01782 652300. Alternatively, you can drop us an email at enquiries@tinsdills.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.