We surveyed clients who received a service between 1 June and 30 November 2023. The results help us better understand our clients’ experiences and learn where we can improve our services.
Respondents
We received responses from 802 clients who are broadly representative across our service areas and programs. Of those respondents:
- six per cent identified as First Nations people
- 14 per cent spoke a language other than English
- 45 per cent had high school or below as their highest education level
- 58 per cent said they had a disability, ongoing health concern or mental health issue.
Key findings
- 80 per cent found it easy to contact us when they first needed help.
- 85 per cent said their lawyer treated them with respect.
- 84 per cent said the help they got had a positive impact on the outcome of their legal problem.
- 75 per cent felt more confident to get legal help in future.
- 63 per cent were less stressed after talking with their lawyer.
- 65 per cent were satisfied with our service and 76 per cent would recommend us to others.
Overall, clients were positive about our services and interacting with our staff and felt that we helped build their capacity to deal with legal problems in the future. They said they would like to see us strengthen our responses to their support needs (especially for those with disabilities) and keep focusing on clients’ legal capability through clear, accessible and timely information and legal advice.
Access and experience
Most clients were positive about their access to and experience with our services. Eighty per cent found it easy to contact us when they first needed help and 85 per cent said their lawyer treated them with respect. The majority also said they felt listened to and able to ask their questions.
‘The lawyer assigned to us was fantastic. Achieved a better result than we could have hoped for. Extremely grateful for his understanding of the situation.’
Just under a third said they had support needs, and these were fully or partially met just over half of the time. Others said that they were unclear about asking for support, unsure if their needs could be accommodated or did not feel they received the support they required.
‘ADHD and anxiety means the limited options available for explaining my issues made the process overly stressful and meant it was hard to get my meaning across.’
Wellbeing
Around two-thirds were less stressed after talking to their lawyers and half said our help improved their wellbeing and mental health. This is important as some said they felt overwhelmed and confused by their experience trying to resolve their legal problem before they came to us.
‘The fact that I could finally speak with someone who could advise on my legal rights was a huge relief.’
Legal capability
An important part of our work is building clients’ legal capability, both during their experience with us and for any future legal problems. Seventy-four per cent said the lawyer helped them understand how to deal with their issue and 77 per cent knew where to go for help in the future.
‘Last matter I didn’t have [Victoria Legal Aid] but had previous hearings to draw from. Legal Aid gave me learnings on the process.’
Resolution
Forty-eight per cent said their legal problem was fully resolved and another 17 per cent said it was partially resolved. Eighty-four per cent of clients with fully resolved issues said our help had a positive impact on the outcome. Not all legal problems can be resolved in the short term and some continue over extended periods. Our future focus is to help clients progress towards resolution, more client centred support and managing expectations.
‘My solicitor did everything in her power to represent my case and succeed to a very positive outcome.’
Satisfaction
Overall, 65 per cent were satisfied with our service and 76 per cent would recommend us to others. However, some also suggested the need for clearer information, better help finding the right person to speak to and ensuring enough time to engage with clients. The resolution of legal problems is a major driver of client satisfaction.
‘They helped me. It took a long time and interactions varied a lot but they did their job.’
We will use this feedback to continue tailoring and improving our services. Gaps and areas of improvement feed directly into our client-first strategy, which aims to improve clients’ experiences of seeking and receiving legal assistance.
Read the summary report
Contact
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact us at research@vla.vic.gov.au
Previous surveys
2023
2022
2021
2019
2017
2015
2013
2012
2011
Updated