Solicitors come top in largest ever survey of legal needs in England and Wales

The Legal Services Board, co-commissioned with the Law Society, has published results of their recent survey of legal needs in England and Wales, the largest survey of its kind in the UK.

The results have shown overwhelming satisfaction with solicitors, with 90% of people surveyed saying that they were satisfied with the service they received from their solicitor, compared to 74% from unregulated providers. 84% of those asked said that they felt their solicitor provided value for money.

The survey was based on data collected by YouGov in February and March 2019, collating the perceptions and experiences of 28,633 people. Significantly, it was found that 31% of those who were involved in a contentious legal matter did not get help, wanted more help, or found that their case took too long to resolve. Respondents who received professional help in legal proceedings were more likely to feel that they had a fair outcome.

Simon Davis, President of the Law Society in England and Wales commented, “The findings show when people do get professional legal advice – particularly from a solicitor – they are more able to resolve legal problems effectively, and far more likely to view the justice system as fair, even if they lose their case.

You can read the full findings of the survey here.

Sources: lawgazette.co.uk, 27 January 2020, ‘Solicitors rank top in biggest ever survey of legal needs’. Legalbusiness.co.uk, 27 January 2020, ‘Lawyers rank top for satisfaction, value for money, but access to justice gaps persist’.