Unbiased.co.uk Legal Advice Report
Background:
unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website, conducted this report to determine consumers’ attitudes, behaviour and experiences when seeking legal advice. Unbiased.co.uk commissioned Opinium Research to carry out an online poll of 2,146 British adults from Friday 9th January to Tuesday 13th January 2009. The sample data has been RIM-weighted to be representative of all UK adults.
The results are broken down into the following categories:
- Why people sought legal advice
- How people sought legal advice
- How many solicitors people contacted
- How people initially contact their solicitor
- Reasons for choosing the solicitor
- Client satisfaction
- Legal aid option
Results
25% of all adults (11,947,000 people) have had cause to seek legal advice in the last two years.
1. Why people sought legal advice
The most popular reasons that people sought legal advice in the last two years were for house buying or property issues (27%), personal injury claims (15%), writing a will (12%), employment issues (12%) or for a personal dispute (10%).
When seeking legal advice in the last two years 30% of woman sought advice on property sales or issues compared to 25% of men. 14% of women took legal advice for writing a will while 10% of men did so. More men (15%) sought legal advice for employment issues than women (9%). 10% of men sought legal advice for criminal charges compared to only 4% of women.
|
Reasons for seeking legal advice |
Total (%) |
Male (%) |
Female (%) |
|
Property sale / issue |
27% |
25% |
30% |
|
Personal injury claim |
15% |
16% |
14% |
|
Writing a will |
12% |
10% |
14% |
|
Employment |
12% |
15% |
9% |
|
Personal dispute |
10% |
8% |
12% |
|
Divorce |
9% |
10% |
9% |
|
Criminal charges |
7% |
10% |
4% |
|
Inheritance and probate |
6% |
5% |
8% |
|
Taking civil action |
6% |
6% |
6% |
|
Business dispute |
5% |
5% |
5% |
|
Estate planning |
4% |
4% |
3% |
|
Defence against civil action |
3% |
4% |
2% |
|
Immigration |
3% |
3% |
2% |
|
Bankruptcy / insolvency |
2% |
1% |
2% |
|
Other |
18% |
17% |
20% |
2. How people sought legal advice
When seeking legal advice 24% saw a solicitor that was recommended to them by a family member or friend. 10% used their parent’s solicitor (rising to 17% amongst those under 34). 10% saw a solicitor they found in a local directory, 10% used a solicitor whose office they had seen and 6% saw one a work colleague had recommended.
9% used a solicitor who had been recommended to them by another professional like an IFA, a mortgage broker or a bank manager. Only 4% used an internet search to find a solicitor.
|
How people sought legal advice |
Total (%) |
Male (%) |
Female (%) |
|
Friend or family member recommended |
24% |
21% |
27% |
|
Used parent’s solicitor |
10% |
14% |
7% |
|
Looked in a local directory |
10% |
10% |
10% |
|
Went to solicitors office they had seen |
10% |
9% |
10% |
|
Another professional recommended (e.g bank manager, IFA, broker) |
10% |
9% |
12% |
|
Work colleague recommended |
6% |
7% |
4% |
|
Solicitor was already involved in the process (e.g the home’s vendor) |
6% |
5% |
6% |
|
Used an internet search |
6% |
6% |
7% |
|
Other |
19% |
20% |
18% |
3. How many solicitors people contacted
71% (8,482,370 people) chose the first solicitor they contacted while 15% contacted two solicitors before deciding on one. Only 6% contacted 3 solicitors and 4% contacted more than 3.
How many solicitors did you contact before choosing one?
4. How people initially contact their solicitor
56% of people initially contacted their solicitor by phone, 21% in person and 6% contacted them via email.
5. Reasons for choosing the solicitor
33% of people chose a solicitor because they specialised in the type of advice they were looking for. 29% chose a solicitor based on the recommendation of someone they trusted and 24% went with a solicitor with a strong reputation that they were familiar with. 23% chose a solicitor that was based near their work or home address.
|
Reason(s) for choosing a solicitor |
Total (%) |
Male (%) |
Female (%) |
|
Specialised in type of legal advice |
33% |
30% |
36% |
|
Recommendation of they trusted |
29% |
25% |
34% |
|
Strong / familiar reputation |
24% |
24% |
25% |
|
Office near home or work |
23% |
24% |
21% |
|
Already knew them |
18% |
18% |
19% |
|
Professional approach when dealing with initial enquiry |
12% |
11% |
13% |
|
Cost |
9% |
11% |
8% |
|
Involved in the process |
9% |
9% |
9% |
|
Legal Aid was available |
7% |
8% |
6% |
|
Website / online service |
4% |
3% |
5% |
|
Came top of internet search listings |
1% |
1% |
2% |
|
Other/ DK |
10% |
10% |
10% |
6. Client satisfaction
74% (8,840,780 people) said the solicitor they visited offered exactly what they were looking for.
Of the 26% who were not completely satisfied with the service they received:
- 6% thought they could have got the support at a lower cost
- 8% thought they could have found someone more specialised
- 2% thought they could have found someone based more locally
- 2% thought they could have found someone they got on better with
- 5% thought they could have found someone whose professionalism they trusted more
- 1% said they didn’t offer legal aid that they were looking for
- 19% of people used Legal Aid the most recent time they took legal advice
- 6% of people said the solicitor used did not offer a Legal Air option
- 41% of people believed that they would not qualify for Legal Aid
- 4% said that they preferred to pay for their legal advice in full
- 7% did not know about the Legal Aid option
Notes to Editors
Unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website
Unbiased.co.uk is the free and confidential UK-wide search service matching consumers with the most appropriate local professional advisers for their needs. In 2008, Unbiased.co.uk fulfilled over half a million searches for local, professional advice.
The portal currently houses three professional advice searches: ‘Find an independent financial adviser’, ‘Find a mortgage adviser’, and ‘Find a solicitor’. These searches enable consumers to find relevant professional advisers by postcode, area of specialism, qualification and payment method.
IFA Promotion, the organisation behind Unbiased.co.uk, is now in its 20th year, and was set up to promote the benefits of independent financial advice to the consumer.
Unbiased.co.uk’s product provider sponsors
|
AEGON Scottish Equitable Plc |
Lincoln |
|
Alliance Trust |
Lockton |
|
AXA Life |
Lutine Assurance Services |
|
Bright Grey |
MetLife |
|
BPP |
National Savings & Investments |
|
Canada Life Ltd |
New Star Investment Funds |
|
Cardif Pinnacle |
Norwich Union Life |
|
The Children’s Mutual |
Prudential |
|
Clerical Medical Investment |
Royal London 360° |
|
Defaqto |
Scottish Life |
|
Friends Provident |
Scottish Widows Plc |
|
The Hartford |
Standard Life Assurance Company |
|
Invesco Perpetual |
Unum |
|
Legal & General |
Zurich Intermediary Group |
Registered Office: Unbiased.co.uk is the consumer brand of IFA Promotion Ltd, 90 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5UB. Registered in Scotland: No. 114606
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