Legal services consumers want the same user-friendly services from their lawyer as they find in retail or banking, new research has found.

The study, commissioned by the Legal Services Consumer Panel, said clients of law firms were accustomed elsewhere to real-time updates, named points of contact and accessible help channels – features all too often absent from their experiences with the legal profession.

In-depth interviews with 15 people who had accessed legal services in the past two years, focused on family, probate and conveyancing, found a shift in public expectation, with lawyers expected to combine expertise with client-centred, response and transparency service.

It was found that clients often lacked clear entry points, step-by-step guidance or defined timelines and were unsure where they stood in the process or what would happen next.

Communication was usually reflective, with many interviewees saying they had to chase updates and felt poorly informed. Sometimes clients had to repeat their circumstances to different staff members because someone had left, and this added to the stress of being involved in emotionally sensitive cases like family breakdown or bereavement. Other consumers found their interactions with lawyers felt rushed or impersonal.

The panel said a key finding was that service quality matters more to consumers than the method of delivery. Whether services are provided face-to-face, digitally, or through hybrid models, people expect transparency, continuity, and proactive communication in plain English.

But while consumers value the efficiency and convenience that digital tools can offer, they also want clarity, empathy, and human support throughout their legal journey.

The panel recommends that the legal sector embraces a consumer-centric approach designed around each client’s context and needs, taking account of their vulnerabilities and communication preferences.

They should be provided clarity and transparency from the outset, with safeguards to ensure this built in where AI is being used. There should also be human support close at hand.

The panel stressed these features are ‘not abstract principles but practical qualities that must be embedded into service design’.

Tom Hayhoe, panel chair, said: ‘Families and individuals facing legal challenges want more than transactions, they want to feel seen, supported, and understood. Our vision is for a legal services sector that combines the best of digital innovation with the enduring values of empathy, clarity, and choice. Good service delivery, in any format, must always put people first.’