DIY justice on the rise as legal costs mount

Better technology and over-the-counter packages are driving customers away from professional legal counsel
Better technology and over-the-counter packages are driving customers away from professional legal counsel
ALAMY

One hour of litigation now costs nearly half the average UK adult’s weekly earnings of £500, fuelling a rise in DIY justice, according to a survey of the legal services market.

The trend for more people to handle their legal problems without lawyers is also driven by better technology, such as online probate applications, and commercial DIY services such as over-the-counter packages for making wills.

“People tend to handle things alone as they believe the matter is relatively straightforward and should not require lawyers, but a perception that lawyers are high cost is a barrier for some,” the report, released today, says.

The report by the Legal Services Board, the profession’s arch regulator, says that the cost of going to law means that there is