Legal services must change to be more accessible, warns super-regulator
updated on 06 March 2020
The general public needs more help when trying to access legal services, which must modernise as a result, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has said.
The legal profession’s ‘super-regulator’ recently published its report examining the needs and ‘legal capability’ of individuals in England and Wales. As Legal Futures reports, legal capability is defined by three metrics:
- legal confidence (an individual’s belief that they can achieve a fair and positive outcome when they need legal advice);
- legal efficacy (whether an individual can cope with a personally difficult legal situation); and
- accessibility (whether someone feels that they can access the justice system (not just in criminal law)).
The report found that people with higher levels of confidence and efficacy were more likely to seek professional legal advice when they needed it. However, almost a third of respondents had low levels of confidence and efficacy, while a fifth believe the justice system is inaccessible.
Respondents with low legal confidence and efficacy came from all socioeconomic backgrounds and included high earners and high educational achievers, but a “broad and significant” trend of low legal confidence was identified among women, those younger than 55, those with a disability that limits daily life, and those with incomes lower than £32,000.
The LSB highlighted the importance of healthcare professionals directing people toward legal support and indicated that it may take regulatory action to make legal services more accessible.
