Publications

Legal Issues,

Service data,

Enquiries to legal assistance services,

Employment-related problems and enquiries to legal assistance services in NSW (Data insights in justice)

Sarah Randell,

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2020

Understanding the characteristics of people who experience employment-related legal problems, such as their age, gender and Indigenous status, is important when planning legal assistance services. The LAW Survey and the...

Data,

Employment,

Service data,

Community legal information,

Uptake of legal self-help resources: what works, for whom and for what?, Justice issues 30

Hugh McDonald,

Suzie Forell,

Zhigang Wei, | 2019

This paper reports new analysis of the national dataset of the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey examining Australians' use of self-help resources (SHRs) for legal problems. It includes previously unreported measures...

Other models of service delivery,

Legal needs surveys,

Family and domestic abuse,

Quantifying the legal and broader life impacts of domestic and family violence, Justice issues paper 32

Christine Coumarelos, | 2019

New analysis of the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey reveals that respondents who had experienced domestic and family violence (DFV) reported 20 legal problems on average in the preceding 12 months,...

Domestic Violence,

Fines: are disadvantaged people at a disadvantage? Justice issues paper 27

Zhigang Wei,

Hugh McDonald,

Christine Coumarelos, | 2018

Using LAW Survey data, this paper reveals that fines problems disproportionately affect disadvantaged people. The most disadvantaged were particularly vulnerable to fines problems, and the adverse consequences resulting from fines...

Indigenous people and legal problem resolution

Zhigang Wei,

Hugh McDonald, | 2018

We know that in Australia legal problems are widespread and if they are not resolved, there are health, social and economic consequences. This paper examines the experience of Indigenous Australians...

Personal injury problems: new insights from the Legal Australia-Wide Survey, Justice issues paper 22

Christine Coumarelos,

Genevieve Grant,

Zhigang Wei, | 2017

This paper uses data from the LAW Survey to shed light on four different types of personal injury problems that are likely to be justiciable or have legal aspects -...

Injury,

It’s personal: business ownership and the experience of legal problems, Justice issues paper 24

Pascoe Pleasence,

Nigel Balmer, | 2017

This paper uses Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey data to explore 2,611 nationally representative business owners' experiences of legal problems. Independent of other factors, business owners were found to be more...

On the brink: how business owners experience business related and other legal problems

Nigel Balmer,

Pascoe Pleasence, | 2017

New analysis of LAW Survey data has identified three distinct groups among business owners according to their likelihood of experiencing business-related and other types of legal problems ‒ ‘normal’, ‘highly...

From the frying pan to the fire: the impact of small businesses’ legal problems

Nigel Balmer,

Pascoe Pleasence, | 2017

Among LAW Survey respondents, 2,611 people (13%) described themselves as business owners. These business owners reported 984 business-related legal problems, 65 per cent of which resulted in adverseconsequences (e.g. loss...

In need of advice: how business owners respond to legal problems

Nigel Balmer,

Pascoe Pleasence, | 2017

Business owners sought advice to resolve business-related legal problems more often than other LAW Survey respondents. They also made greater use of legal advisers, financial advisers and trade/professional association advisers...

Meeting the greater legal needs of single parents

Maria Karras,

Reiny Iriana, | 2016

New analysis of LAW Survey data reveals that single parents whose children live with them, and single parents whose children live elsewhere, have the highest prevalence of legal problems among...

Other priority groups,

Single parents,

How people solve legal problems: level of disadvantage and legal capability, Justice issues paper 23

Zhigang Hugh M. McDonald,

Wei, | 2016

The paper provides compelling new evidence from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey demonstrating the lower legal capability of multiply disadvantaged people. The most disadvantaged respondents were found to be significantly...

Compensation and insurance,

The nature of personal injury

Christine Coumarelos,

Zhigang Wei,

Genevieve Grant, | 2015

Traditional sources of data give only partial insight into the nature of personal injury as a legal problem. These data typically say little about personal injury that does not result...

Accidents,

Injury,

Indigenous people, multiple disadvantage and response to legal problems

Zhigang Wei,

Hugh McDonald,

Christine Coumarelos, | 2015

This paper extends analysis of the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey national dataset by examining response to legal problems and barriers to obtaining advice by Indigenous status and level of disadvantage....

Indicators of legal need,

Planning legal assistance services by area: is SEIFA the answer?

Julie People,

Maria Karras,

Christine Coumarelos,

Catriona Mirrlees-Black,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2015

Results from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey demonstrate that certain disadvantaged groups are particularly vulnerable to legal problems. Thus, data that identify the demographic groups with high legal need and...

Planning service delivery,

Limits of legal information: when knowing what to do is not enough

Hugh McDonald,

Suzie Forell,

Julie People, | 2014

One aim of community legal information and education strategies is to promote community understanding of law and what to do about legal problems. Key to this is a focus on...

Community legal education,

Other models of service delivery,

Legal capability and inaction for legal problems: knowledge, stress and cost

Hugh McDonald,

Julie People, | 2014

Deficiencies in legal capability may limit a person’s ability to effectively resolve legal problems. This paper examines three reasons provided by respondents for taking no action in response to legal...

Capability,

Are renters worse off? The legal needs of public and private tenants

Deborah Macourt,

Reiny Iriana, | 2014

International legal needs research has revealed that people who live in rented accommodation are particularly vulnerable to experiencing legal problems. This paper uses LAW Survey data to address the legal...

Housing & homelessness,

Legal Issues,

Barriers to obtaining advice for legal problems in New South Wales

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2014

The Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey found that a sizeable proportion of people seek advice for the legal problems they experience, however, many report barriers to accessing the legal help they...

Do some types of legal problems trigger other legal problems?

Julie People, | 2014

Legal problems that have the potential to trigger other legal problems can set off a series of multiple problems, which can spiral out of control. Identifying trigger problems can help...

Children and young people,

Youth and the law: the impact of legal problems on young people

Deborah Macourt, | 2014

Stress-related illness, physical ill health, relationship breakdown, moving home, and loss of income or financial strain, were all adverse consequences attributed to the legal problems reported by respondents to the...

Indigenous people’s experience of multiple legal problems and multiple disadvantage – a working paper

Zhigang Wei,

Hugh McDonald, | 2014

The Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey found that Indigenous people who experience legal problems had an increased likelihood of experiencing multiple legal problems. New analyses using the LAW Survey national dataset...

Children and young people,

Youth and the law: it’s not all about juvenile justice and child welfare

Deborah Macourt, | 2013

New findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey reveal that young people aged 15–17 years, like their 18–24 year old counterparts, are not immune to the experience of legal problems,...

Crime in context: criminal victimisation, offending, multiple disadvantage and the experience of civil legal problems

Pascoe Pleasence,

Hugh McDonald, | 2013

Disadvantaged groups have been found to be particularly vulnerable to civil legal problems. Disadvantage has also been linked with crime victimisation and offending. However, while it has been observed that...

Criminal law and crime,

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse,

Legal need and main language across Australia

Julie People, | 2013

People whose main language is not English are less likely to take action or seek advice to resolve their legal problems compared to other Australians. Knowledge of the socio-demographic characteristics...

Other priority groups,

Law and disorders: illness/disability and the experience of everyday problems involving the law, Justice Issues 17.

Christine Coumarelos,

Pascoe Pleasence,

Zhigang Wei, | 2013

This paper draws on the LAW Survey data to examine the relationship between legal problem experience and different types of mental and physical illness/disability. The findings confirm the existence of...

Disability,

Health & ageing,

Health and Disability,

Disadvantage and responses to legal problems in remote Australia – a working paper

Reiny Iriana,

Pascoe Pleasence,

Christine Coumarelos, | 2013

New analyses from the Legal Australia-WIDE (LAW) Survey confirm that high levels of disadvantage are associated with a lower likelihood of taking action and seeking professional advice in respones to...

Regional & Remote,

Rural & Remote,

Who is the ‘other side’ in legal problems and disputes in Australia?

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

This paper summarises findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey concerning the ‘other side’ in legal problems and disputes in Australia. A wide variety of people and organisations were identified...

Law and disorders: illness/disability and the response to everyday problems involving the law, Updating Justice 30.

Pascoe Pleasence,

Zhigang Wei,

Christine Coumarelos, | 2013

The Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey has demonstrated a strong relationship between the prevalence of legal problems and long-term illness/disability, with elevated levels for all types of illness/disability and particularly for...

What price justice? Income and the use of lawyers

Pascoe Pleasence,

Deborah Macourt, | 2013

This paper presents new findings from the LegalAustralia Wide (LAW) Survey. The first major findings for Australia as a whole were published in Legal Australia-Wide Survey: legal need in Australia...

Disadvantage,

Lawyers,

Children and young people,

Legal needs of younger people in Australia

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

This paper summarises findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey on the legal problems experienced by younger people aged 15–24 years in Australia. Similar to previous studies, the findings show...

Seeking formal advice for legal problems in the ACT

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

This paper summarises findings from the Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) concerning the use of advisers for legal problems in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). What people in the ACT...

Lawyers,

Awareness of legal services and responses to legal problems in remote Australia

Reiny Iriana,

Pascoe Pleasence,

Christine Coumarelos, | 2013

New findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey suggest that, overall, the use of legal advisers decreases with remoteness. In very remote areas, respondents who were not aware of various...

Regional & Remote,

Rural,

Rural & Remote,

Concentrating disadvantage: a working paper on heightened vulnerability to multiple legal problems

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei, | 2013

The Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey found that some demographic groups, including many disadvantaged groups, had heightened vulnerability to multiple legal problems. New analyses of the LAW Survey national data set...

Legal needs of Indigenous people in Australia

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

This paper summarises findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey showing that Indigenous Australians had high prevalence of multiple legal problems and government, health and rights problems. They were also...

Law and disorders: illness/disability and the experience of everyday problems involving the law, Updating Justice 22. [Working paper]

Christine Coumarelos,

Pascoe Pleasence,

Zhigang Wei, | 2013

New findings from the LAW Survey confirm a strong relationship between the experience of a broad range of everyday problems involving the law and long-term illness/disability. This relationship was generally...

Home is where the heart of legal need is: a working paper on homelessness, disadvantaged housing and the experience of legal problems

Christine Coumarelos,

Julie People, | 2013

Preliminary findings from the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey indicate that homeless people are an especially disadvantaged group who have increased vulnerability to a wide range of legal problems. The findings...

Housing & homelessness,

Seeking formal advice for legal problems in New South Wales

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

This paper summarises findings from the Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) concerning the use of advisers for legal problems in New South Wales (NSW). What people in NSW do about...

Lawyers,

How are legal problems finalised in Australia?

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2013

The Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey examined the manner in which respondents finalised their legal problems and whether the manner of finalisation depended on the type of problem. This paper summarises...

Outcomes,