The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner’s newly established Legal Services Research Centre has today published its first research findings in ‘The Report of the Pilot Victorian Legal Understanding and Lawyer Use (V-LULU) Survey’.
The pilot survey represents a groundbreaking new approach to exploring how the Victorian public interact with law, experience legal issues and use legal services. It marks the beginning of an ongoing program of LULU survey research exploring how the public interact with law and legal services.
The report explores the legal experience of Victorians for two types of issues — contentious (involving a dispute with another party) and non-contentious (such as making a will or selling a home, where there is no dispute) to gain a broad understanding of the community’s experience dealing with legal issues.
It also captures detail on what people sought from legal services, what they obtained, and the gaps between the two.
The report is authored by the Centre’s Research Director Professor Nigel Balmer and his research collaborator of 25 years, Professor Pascoe Pleasence of University College London.
The report found that:
-
Everyday legal problems are exactly that – persistent features of everyday life. We will all face them, like it or not.
-
Technology has transformed advice seeking. More than 4 in 5 seek help online when faced with legal issues.
-
Transformation brings new forms of marginalisation. Older people sought help online less, with less effect, and were less able to combine online and offline resources.
-
Technology has also contributed to an expanded reach of legal services, which now provide help for half of all everyday legal issues, far exceeding previous estimates.
-
Despite increased reach, a lot of legal need remains unmet. 39% of people seeking independent help failed to obtain the level sought (for example, getting generic information when they sought tailored advice), and among those who received their sought level of help, 28% still didn’t get everything they needed.
-
Communication defines experience with legal services. Where people felt information on services was clear from the outset, 96% were subsequently satisfied with services, compared to just 25% where initial information was poor, and 52% where there was no initial information.
-
More than 2 in 5 contentious legal issues were perceived to involve discrimination, adding an additional burden to those seeking help for legal issues.
-
Legal capability determined justice. It shaped what people sought, what they received, and crucially the gap between the two.
By publishing this research, the Legal Services Research Centre is providing valuable evidence to help improve legal services for all users and all legal matters, from routine issues to complex disputes that go to the heart of people’s lives and welfare.
Professor Balmer is optimistic about the impact the research can have for Victorians.
“Our goal is that this research will help optimise legal services for all users and all legal matters, from routine and non-contentious transactions to complex disputes that go to the heart of people’s lives and welfare,” said Professor Balmer.
The report highlights a number of areas for improvement, such as:
-
using technological innovations and the expanded reach of services to advantage,
-
responding to dispute and life complexity,
-
and designing legal services for varying levels of legal capability.
The report also highlights the importance of promoting awareness of the type and availability of services, bridging information and communication gaps, and providing services that are tailored to people’s knowledge, skills, and attributes.
“With these findings, the opportunity to move towards a system that truly delivers justice for all Victorians has never been greater,” said Professor Balmer.
For more information, visit: lsbc.vic.gov.au/research-centre/v-lulu