Millions of Australians struggle to navigate legal issues

YouGov research commissioned by LawConnect found that millions of Australians struggle to identify and navigate legal problems, with confusion and opacity emerging as bigger barriers to access than cost.

The study of 1,018 Australians found that 78% had experienced at least one legal situation in their lives. Yet many did not recognise common life events as legal matters at the time. That included 62% of people who made an insurance claim, 61% of renters or landlords, and 59% of those who married or entered a de facto relationship.

That lack of recognition appears to leave many without support. An estimated 2.6 million Australians have gone through a legal situation without realising its legal nature, while 43% said they had been in a position where they needed legal help but could not access it.

Navigation gap

The findings suggest the biggest obstacle is often knowing where to begin. Nearly two thirds, or 63%, said they did not know what to do at the start of a legal issue. Among those who had faced a legal problem, 81% said they were unsure how to deal with it because of confusion about cost, seriousness or whether help was needed at all.

Many respondents said they tried to work through problems alone. One in five handled the issue by themselves, while 44% of all Australians said they had tried, or had considered trying, to manage a legal issue without professional help. The research estimated that for 1.6 million people, doing so made the situation worse.

Online tools did not always resolve that uncertainty. Almost half of respondents turned to a search engine for information, and one in four used artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. But 61% of those with a legal issue said they could not find information that was clear, relevant or easy to apply.

Confidence in finding the right legal adviser also remained limited. According to the report, 4.6 million Australians, or 21%, were not confident they could find the right lawyer for their needs.

LawConnect Chief Executive David Vitek said the problem begins before a person reaches a lawyer. "Most Australians don't avoid legal help because they don't care. They avoid it because the system provides no clear way in. By the time they realise they need help, it's often too late to protect themselves," he said.

Broader effects

The survey also pointed to the consequences of unresolved disputes and legal uncertainty. More than one in three Australians said they had experienced a significant legal issue that either remained unresolved or was not resolved satisfactorily.

Among those with an unresolved legal issue, 94% said it affected at least one other part of their life. Some 72% cited an impact on mental health and wellbeing, while 67% said it affected their financial security.

Respondents ranked legal problems among the most stressful life events. Some 77% said dealing with a legal situation was as stressful as losing a job, while 83% rated a serious medical diagnosis as the most stressful event listed in the survey.

The findings also showed weak public confidence in the legal system. Although 88% agreed that legal help should be a basic right, fewer than four in 10 rated the system as trustworthy, accessible or fair. The survey found that 78% described navigating it as intimidating, confusing or overwhelming.

Vitek said the current mix of online search, general artificial intelligence tools and fragmented services was not solving the problem. "Australians are sitting up reading through contracts and terms and conditions, spending time piecing together documents, and doing hours of work just to understand where they stand. Legal problems today sit inside a maze of search results, generic AI tools, conflicting advice, and disconnected systems. These tools are giving people information, but they are not giving them navigation," he said.

Technology push

LawConnect is using the research to argue that a new layer of legal technology is needed to guide people from an initial question through to resolution. It described demand for that kind of service as strong, citing findings that 85% of respondents would use a platform that could guide them through a legal issue from first question to resolution, while 96% said they would trust such a tool.

LawConnect operates a marketplace that provides legal information and connects consumers and businesses with lawyers. Vitek, who previously co-founded hipages, framed the issue as one of access and infrastructure rather than a lack of lawyers.

He said the legal profession already plays an important role but remains difficult for many people to reach. "The legal system was designed to protect people, and Australia's almost 100,000 lawyers do important work delivering that support every day. But when the path to the first question, through to an outcome, is unclear, inaccessible, or simply unknown, that protection doesn't reach the people who need it most," he said.

Any attempt to build better navigation tools would require wider cooperation, he added. "We can now give people clarity on what they're dealing with, prepare them properly, and connect them with the right professional - in minutes, not weeks. But that infrastructure has to be built with the collaboration of the entire legal profession and government, not in isolation."

"That is our vision for the future of the legal system - not to replace legal expertise, but to finally build the infrastructure that connects people to it," Vitek said.