The British public avoid solicitors because they overestimate the cost of legal services, according to research commissioned by legal comparison website Law Superstore.
A mere nine percent of more than 2,000 consumers polled felt confident they knew the cost of common services such as conveyancing, wills, probate and divorce.
When asked to guess the average cost of legal services, the consumers substantially overestimated lawyers’ fees. The most popular estimates of average fees for divorce, probate and buying and selling a property were £2,300, £804 and £1,867. In fact, the correct figures are £722, £829 and £1,283, according to Legal Services Board data collected this year.
The research also showed people usually have a positive experience once they have engaged a lawyer. Some 71% secured a positive outcome and 58% felt supported.
