Two surveys have been carried out recently by the Legal Services Consumer Panel. They surveyed former clients and the general public.

Somewhat surprisingly of the 1,277 members of the general public surveyed only 47% said that they would ' generally trust' lawyers to tell the truth. Even more of a concern is that the mistrust was highest in young people. This perception will need to change quickly given that trusted brands will be coming in to the market place from October 2011. Lawyers came third in the trust stakes behind doctors who were top and teachers but above accountants, bankers and estate agents.

There was some good news however as the majority of consumer's who had used legal services were satisfied with the outcome, with the highest satisfaction being recorded in people using condensing and will writing (92%) and probate services (82%) which between them make up 70% of legal services used.

The survey found the most common way that people found their lawyer was through recommendation or referral, with 1% using price comparison websites and 5% on quality marks.

The survey once again highlighted the need for better communication and an improved quality of service with only 72% of those surveyed expressing the view that there was sufficient contact with their lawyer throughout their matter and only 56% feeling that they had received good value for money.

We would be interested in receiving your views on the survey please e-mail us at info@breensonline.co.uk.