According to the Legal Services 2013 survey by YouGov SixSense - a provider of business intelligence – 28 per cent of Britons used a law firm or solicitor in the three years to January 2013, compared to 31 per cent in the three years to 2011.

Client satisfaction

However the research also found that only 20 per cent of those using legal services had been asked to complete client satisfaction surveys.
Legal costs played by a bigger role in the selection of legal service providers, with 77 per cent of those surveyed mentioning costs compared to 71 per cent two years ago. Experience and qualifications still topped the list of concerns with 85 per cent.
According to the report, almost 60 per cent of Britons would potentially be interested in legal services from well-known brands, such as Virgin and the Co-operative (which already offers legal services).

Value for money

James McCoy, YouGov SixthSense Research Director, commented: ‘The economic stagnation is reshaping what consumers look for when it comes to legal advice. People are starting to see the law as a consumer service and want to know that they are getting value for money.
‘That so few customer satisfaction surveys are taking place should concern traditional providers as they will be unaware that many of these issues exist. The need for people to get value for money could play into the hands of more mainstream consumer brands wanting to establish themselves in the legal services sector.’