New survey also shows many don't seek legal
help with civil matters that can be life-altering
WASHINGTON, July 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of Americans
(56%) mistakenly believe they are entitled to free legal
representation if they cannot afford a lawyer for civil matters,
and 18% are unsure, according to a new survey. That number is even
higher for young adults (18-34) with two of three (67%) holding
this belief.
"The lack of awareness among Americans about the resources
available to them regarding civil legal matters is concerning and
points to how much work still needs to be done to ensure all
Americans have access to the legal system," said Ronald Flagg, president of the Legal Services
Corporation. "For instance, because many people don't realize that
they are not entitled to free representation for civil legal
matters, they may end up in civil court without representation -
unable to fight for themselves."
The survey, which was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf
of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) among more than 2,000
American adults, also showed that many who experienced a civil
legal matter within the past three years (59%) didn't seek out
legal help from an attorney who could have been pivotal in getting
their issues resolved. This includes:
- A majority (63%) of Americans who were contacted by creditors
or collection agencies
- 56% of Americans who were fired from a job
- 52% of Americans who experienced a natural disaster
- 82% of older Americans (ages 55+) who were victims of a scam or
identity theft
The data come at a noteworthy moment as LSC marks its
50th anniversary with an outreach campaign called
Protecting the Promise.
This issue is playing a part in the national housing crisis as
well. Nearly one of three Americans who were threatened with
eviction or foreclosure in the past three years (31%) didn't seek
legal help. Additionally, 35% of those Americans who were
threatened say they did reach out for legal help but didn't
receive it.
The survey also found that many Americans are misinformed about
what issues require legal help. One of three Americans who didn't
seek legal help for civil matters in the past three years say they
didn't do so because they thought they could just deal with the
problem on their own (33%) or they didn't think the problem was
serious enough for legal help (33%). Additionally, almost a quarter
(23%) didn't reach out for legal assistance because they didn't
think a legal professional could help with their problem.
"It may surprise many Americans to know that civil legal matters
touch several areas of our lives," said Flagg. "From the threat of
eviction or foreclosure, to domestic violence incidents, to
harassment from debt collectors, or experiencing natural disasters
– these are all issues that can be helped with the guidance of an
attorney, so it's important that Americans know that and have
access to the legal representation they need."
There appears to be a gender divide in some cases, with women
being less likely to seek out legal help than men when experiencing
civil matters over the past three years (66% vs. 53%), including
79% of women vs. 48% of men who didn't seek legal help when
contacted by creditors or collection agencies.
A lack of awareness may not be the only barrier to accessing
legal help for civil legal matters. Among Americans who did not
seek legal assistance for a civil matter they experienced over the
past three years, nearly a third (32%) did not do so because they
were worried about the cost. When asked if they would know how to
find legal representation for a civil matter if they needed it,
young Americans are more likely to say they would not, compared to
older groups (38%: 18-34; 27%: 35-44; 29%: 45-54; 28%: 55-64; 19%:
65+).
"It's not enough to ensure that Americans know about the
resources available to them," said Flagg. "There is a gap in the
legal services available to many Americans – especially low-income
Americans – and as a result, many are not able to receive the help
they need. This needs to change and it is what LSC as well as civil
legal aid organizations around the country work toward every
day."
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf
of Legal Services Corporation (LSC) from July 11-July 15, 2024 among 2,096 U.S. adults
ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured
by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the
full sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points
using a 95% confidence level.
For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables
and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Carl Rauscher at
rauscherc@lsc.gov.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit
established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for
civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently
provides funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in
every state, the District of
Columbia, and U.S. territories.
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harris-poll-more-than-half-of-americans-mistakenly-think-they-have-a-right-to-an-attorney-in-civil-cases-302210066.html
SOURCE Legal Services Corporation