The survey, which is conducted by YouGov, has been ongoing for ten years.  In 2021, researchers spoke to 3,500 people who had used a legal service in the past two years and found that since 2012, levels of satisfaction in the service received have risen from 79% to 83%.  There has also been an increase from 84% to 89% in the level of satisfaction in the outcome of legal services received.

Overall, users rate the value for money of legal services delivered fairly high, with 65% saying the service was value for money in 2021, compared with 64% in 2020.  The highest perception of value for money was from those people using wills services, at 77%.

Particular areas of increased satisfaction in 2021 compared with 2012 include:

• 78% in the clarity of information on costs in 2021, from 70% in 2012
• 82% in the clarity of information on services in 2021, from 76% in 2012
• 76% in the extent to which users are treated as an individual, from 70% in 2012
• 56% in the knowledge of how to make a complaint, from 48% in 2012
• 65% in the overall perception that the service was value for money, from 58% in 2012

Many services have been delivered online during the pandemic and the survey found that whilst this had been increasing steadily before the onset of COVID-19, delivery of online legal services more than doubled in 2021 to 44% from 21% in 2012 and increased by more than a third since 2020 when 34% of consumers accessed legal services online. It is also interesting to note that 35% of those interviewed believe that offering an online service is important.  In 2012, this figure was 27% and had been relatively stable since then, which indicates that the pandemic has influenced the change.

Specifically relating to services delivered during the pandemic, 60% of those surveyed said that the experience was as they expected it to be and 26% said it was better.  The percentage of people who found the service better than expected depended on the type of service delivered.  For example:

• 35% of those using a family service
• 29% of those using a service relating to consumer goods/services
• 28% of those accessing will writing services
• 25% of those using probate services
• 19% of those using conveyancing services
• 17% of those using power of attorney services

Peter Clark, managing partner at Graysons says:

“This is very encouraging data that indicates how hard legal practices have worked to address the challenges that the pandemic has brought.  Over the last 17 months, we have constantly reviewed our office and remote client service policies to ensure that we operate a COVID safe working arrangement at our offices with appropriate arrangements for clients and visitors, and that our “remote” services meet the needs of our clients.  We are grateful to our staff, clients and business colleagues for their understanding and support during the various periods of lockdown and restrictions.”