Causes of Action goes annual

The Legal Services Research Centre has published the latest results of the English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey. The current report describes the main findings from the 2006 interviews. The survey is now conducted continuously and the results will be published annually.
 
The findings are similar to those reported in Causes of Action, but there are some significant differences, and some important changes of emphasis.

• 36% of respondents reported have experienced a justiciable problem that was difficult to resolve. This was a rise from 33% reported in 2004.
• There was an increase in the reported incidence of consumer, neighbour and welfare benefit related problems.
• Respondents took no action to resolve 9.8% of problems.
• Nearly half of respondents managed to obtain advice, a slight decrease from 2004.
• Use of the internet for advice seeking has increased from 4% in 2001 to 11% in 2004 to 15% in 2006.
• The survey introduces a new distinction as to the type of help sought, distinguishing between "general support and advice" and "advice of a specific legal nature". The help sought varied depending on problem type. For example neighbour problems were associated with general support, whereas divorce problems were associated with specific legal advice.

Limitations

For the first time the report recognises the limitations of the survey sample frame. As it draws on a sample of residential addresses it excludes a number of people, calculated as 2% of the population. These include elderly people in residential care, students living in education establishments, prisoners, military personnel, people living in local authority provided temporary accommodation, gypsies and travellers, and a number of "hidden" members of the population. Some people fall within the sample frame but choose not to participate in the survey. Other populations, by virtue of their size relative to the population as a whole, are difficult to study through the survey. This includes members of ethnic minority communities.

Legal aid clients

For the first time also the report distinguishes between those respondents who are and are not likely to be eligible for legal aid (based on a benefits and income related proxy test). This showed that

• The patterns and clusters of problems experienced by eligible respondents are broadly similar to those of the general population, although problems associated with poverty were more pronounced.
• Eligible respondents were more likely to report multiple problems, more likely to do nothing to resolve their problems, but also more likely to seek advice, and more likely to go to see advisers face-to-face.
• This is consistent with the hypothesis that those eligible for legal aid are likely to face more severe problems and be in need of face-to-face advice.

 
Civil Justice in England and Wales
Report of the 2006 English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey