Opinion ID: 1634097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: National Studies and State Studies Provide Insight

Text: In its landmark Comprehensive Legal Needs Study published in 1994, the American Bar Association found that 38% of poor households and 43% of near poor households in the South had one or more legal problems in the survey year. The most frequently reported legal problems were housing and real property, personal finance and consumer issues, family and domestic needs, and employment. Of these, 37% of poor households and 41% of near poor households sought help either from the civil justice system or a non-legal third party while 24% and 23% respectively reported handling their problem on their own. Even though the study was conducted nearly a decade ago, many states have conducted state-level legal needs studies more recently, most generating similar results. A 1999 article published by the American Bar Association, Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, summarized recent research on the frequency of pro se litigation. A 1991 report from the National Center for State Courts examined the incidence of representation in divorce cases in urban jurisdictions. Just 28% of divorces proceeded with both parties represented by a lawyer. Frequently cited studies examining the trend of pro se litigation in domestic relations in Maricopa County, Arizona found that pro se cases in which one party proceeded without a lawyer grew from 24% in 1980 to 47% in 1985 and 88% in 1990. A 1996 Maryland study found 57% of pro se litigants surveyed reported they could not afford a lawyer.