Lawyer Monthly - August 2021 Edition

26 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | AUG 2021 HOW CAN PEOPLE IN THE UK GET BETTER ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES? The legal services sector is larger and more diverse than ever before, with a huge range of choices available to consumers when it comes to seeking out professional advice and legal counsel. Yet despite this, there remains a significant percentage of individuals and businesses who are unaware of the legal options available to them, or who simply lack the resources to take advantage of them. Here, we will explore some of the key issues that are preventing people in the UK from getting proper access to legal services, as well as examine the current and potential future solutions that can help to turn this around. Why are people struggling to access legal services? The current challenges facing UK businesses and consumers in accessing legal services have been compellingly laid out by the Legal Services Board (LSB) in its 2020 report on the Legal Needs of Individuals in England and Wales, created in partnership with The Law Society and YouGov. This report, compiled based on a survey of 28,633 individuals across the nation, revealed a number of eye-opening statistics that demonstrate how commonplace it has become for people in the UK to encounter legal problems, without necessarily knowing how to access the effective legal support they need: - 64% said they had experienced a legal problem in the last four years – equivalent to around 29.8 million people – including 53% who faced a contentious problem. 1.8 million small businesses are also estimated to face legal issues every year. - 31% of those who faced a contentious legal problem that was eventually resolved did not ultimately receive help, wanted more help, or found that their issue took longer than two years to resolve. - People with low legal confidence were less likely to seek professional help (54% did not choose to, compared to 47% of those with high confidence. - 66% of those who received professional help felt they were able to achieve a fair outcome, compared to 53% of those who did not receive professional help. The LSB subsequently published its 10-year How Can People in the UK Get Better Access to Legal Services? Lee Marston, Managing Partner Clough & Willis 2 Manchester Road, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0DT Tel: +44 (0)800 038 0815 Email: lee.marston@clough-willis.co.uk www.clough-willis.co.uk Lee Marston Lee Marston is Managing Partner and Head of Family Law at Clough & Willis. In addition to practicing solely in family law, he is also a Resolution Accredited Specialist in the financial side of divorce and children disputes and was a founding member of the Family Law Panel in 2005. Clough & Willis Clough & Willis is a full-service law firm based in the UK, offering high- quality legal advice on a broad range of personal and commercial matters. Solicitors and law firms play an essential role in helping individuals, families and businesses across the UK to protect their legal rights, resolve disputes and secure financial support in moments of need. However, at present, some are finding it harder to access these vital services than others, even when they are in dire need – and the industry must do its bit to make sure this problem is addressed.