The Legal Services Research Centre has released its first report, The Pilot Victorian Legal Understanding and Lawyer Use (V-LULU) Survey. The pilot V-LULU survey represents an innovative new approach to exploring how the Victorian public interact with law, experience legal issues and use legal services. 

The report explores the legal experience of Victorians for two types of issues — contentious (involving a dispute with another party) and non-contentious (such as making a will or selling a home, where there is no dispute) to gain a broad understanding of the community’s experience dealing with legal issues.    

It also captures detail on what people sought from legal services, what they obtained, and the gaps between the two. 

Key findings 

• Everyday legal problems are exactly that – persistent features of everyday life. We will all face them, like it or not. 
• Technology has transformed advice seeking. More than 4 in 5 seek help online when faced with legal issues. 
• Transformation brings new forms of marginalisation. Older people sought help online less, with less effect, and were less able to combine online and offline resources.  
• Technology has also contributed to an expanded reach of legal services, which now provide help for half of all everyday legal issues, far exceeding previous estimates. 
• Despite increased reach, a lot of legal need remains unmet. 39% of people seeking independent help failed to obtain the level sought (for example, getting generic information when they sought tailored advice), and among those who received their sought level of help, 28% still didn’t get everything they needed.  
• Communication defines experience with legal services. Where people felt information on services was clear from the outset, 96% were subsequently satisfied with services, compared to just 25% where initial information was poor, and 52% where there was no initial information.  
• More than 2 in 5 contentious legal issues were perceived to involve discrimination, adding an additional burden to those seeking help for legal issues.  
• Legal capability determined justice. It shaped what people sought, what they received, and crucially the gap between the two. 

The report highlights the importance of promoting awareness of the type and availability of services, bridging information and communication gaps, and providing services that are tailored to people’s knowledge, skills, and attributes. 

“With these findings, the opportunity to move towards a system that truly delivers justice for all Victorians has never been greater," said Professor Balmer.

Read the report and find out more.
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