Majority (55%) of Canadians Who Have Accessed the Legal System Did Not Hire a Lawyer to Represent Them

Toronto, ON - With the Canadian justice system being accessed by a million Canadians each year, a new study conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of DAS Canada reveals that those using the legal system are not using legal representation to defend them.

The survey reveals that a majority (55%) of Canadians did not have a lawyer present with them when they last accessed the Canadian legal system, compared with a minority (45%) who say they did have such representation.

This raises concern as approximately 4.25 million Canadians have accessed Canada's legal system within the last five years including:

• 2.2 million Canadians who have accessed traffic court
• 1.4 million Canadians who have accessed family court
• 1.1 million Canadians who have accessed small claims court
• 1.1 million Canadians who have accessed civil court
• 834,000 Canadians who have accessed tribunals

The fact that many Canadians going through the country's court systems are not hiring legal representation is not a reflection of the lack of desire to have legal representation, but the barriers to access that prevent them doing so. In fact, more than six in ten (62%) Canadians `agree' (10% strongly/52% somewhat) that regardless of the outcome, they believe they get or would get value out of hiring a lawyer to help them resolve their dispute.

Looking at Canadians who have faced a legal situation and wanted to hire a lawyer but decided not to, the thought that legal fees would be too expensive (63%) rises to the top of a list of potential barriers for accessing legal representation. Other reasons include:

• Taking too much time and effort for an uncertain outcome - 19%
• Having the case drag out although Canadians would want them over quickly - 15%
• Not knowing what resources were available to access a lawyer - 13%
• Not thinking there was a reasonable chance of winning, so why bother - 11%
• Thinking the other party would have better lawyers - 6%
• Other - 22%

Having to take on additional expenses for legal costs can be straining for Canadians and their financial situation, and putting Canadians in a hypothetical situation where they're asked how they would finance a legal dispute reveals they would be equally as likely to use savings (39%) or credit (37%). Other ways they would expense a legal dispute are:

• Liquidating their investments or assets - 29%
• Reducing their lifestyle expenses (like traveling, eating out, etc.) - 16%
• Other - 15%

Many Canadians have even seen, first hand, the effects legal expenses can have on someone's personal financial situation, as half (45%) `agree' (20% strongly/25% somewhat) that they have known someone, personally, that has put themselves in debt trying a dispute in the legal system, while the remaining half (55%) `disagree' (33% strongly/22% somewhat).

One way Canadians can protect themselves against mounting legal expenses is to be covered under legal expense insurance. In fact, half (50%) of Canadians who have accessed the justice system in the last five years indicate that having (or not having) insurance to cover the cost of legal expenses is an important factor for them in once again accessing the legal system to resolve a dispute.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from March 5th to 10th on behalf of DAS Canada. For this survey, a sample of 2,851 Canadian adults was surveyed online via the Ipsos I-Say Panel. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls are measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all Canadians been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.