How Consumers Meet Their Legal Needs Online

Thomson FindLaw used an independent research group to conduct additional in-depth quantitative research to investigate the legal needs of consumers across the country and the process/actions consumers initiated and acted upon.

Most Consumers Have Legal Needs

More than half of consumers surveyed (56%) had a legal need in the past two years. In addition, consumers feel a sense of urgency: seventy-seven percent of consumers with legal needs said their legal need was extremely or very urgent.

Today's consumers are not passively sitting and waiting for the legal issues to resolve themselves.

Armed with legal information and expert support (often secured from legal resources on the Internet), an overwhelming majority of consumers are fighting for their legal rights, 64% of consumers surveyed said they were willing to go to court to fight for their rights. Thirty-six percent said they were willing to pursue legal issues regardless of time or cost.

When consumers have a legal issue, timing is everything. Of those who contracted a legal professional, 38% addressed their legal need the same day it arose; another 24% addressed the legal need the same week.

Consumers Turning to the Internet for Legal Help

It comes as no surprise that the same consumers who visit online job sites, check the weather, listen to podcasts and plan personal travel online are also finding the Internet a credible resource for legal and other professional help.

According to the Thomson FindLaw research, eighty-four percent of consumers with a legal need who did research used the Internet, far more than those who relied on friends and family, libraries or local bar associations. How do consumers find the legal information they need online? Eighty-eight percent of them begin with a search engine -- Google is the most popular -- and 31% use legal information/directory Web sites like FindLaw.com. Another 30% of consumers look for Web sites that focus on legal specialties, such as attorney/law firm sites.

Almost half of the consumers who used the Internet to access information about their legal issue decided to contact an attorney or law firm. Others used the Internet to validate an attorney or law firm referral from a friend or coworker. Still others accessed a variety of Web sites to get more

information about various attorneys and law firms.

While many consumers initially address their legal issues on their own, 15% of those with a legal need contact a legal professional. What's more, 70% of those who contacted an attorney decided to hire an attorney.

An attorney's expertise in the particular legal field was the single most important factor in choosing an attorney-more than recommendations from others or the cost of the attorney.

Outcome Among Consumers Who Contacted An Attorney

Hired an attorney 70%

Still deciding 9%

Advised matter not 7%

worth pursuing

Legal issue resolved 4%

Represented self 3%

Attorney refused case 2%

Decided not to pursue 1%

Other 4%

Source: Thomson Reuters FindLaw

Factors in Choosing an Attorney

The attorney's expertise in the particular legal field you needed 53%

Recommendations from others 41%

The cost that the attorney or law firm would charge 36%

How fast the attorney responded to you 35%

Gained a sense of trust from the attorney 30%

The reputation of the entire law firm 26%

How optimistic the attorney was regarding the outcome 26%

Location of firm 20%

Length of time in practice 19%

Size of firm 4%

Source: Thomson Reuters FindLaw

Of those consumers who contacted an attorney or law firm, over half (56%) contacted only one attorney to try to resolve their legal need.

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Consumer reliance on the Internet to find legal information and counsel is likely to continue to grow. Over half (57%) of respondents said there were satisfied with the Internet as a source of legal information. And the vast majority (80%) of consumers who searched for legal information on the Internet responded that they would be likely to use the Internet as a legal

resource in the future.