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Legal Access By The Numbers
Probate
Only 46% of Americans have wills.
Rural populations and African-American populations have wills at lower rates than the average.
Heirs of those who die without wills receive on average 1/4 of the inheritance of the heirs of those who die with wills.
Dying without a will increases time spent in probate, which on average costs $12K in legal fees.
A lawyer can cost $1000-$2000 as a flat fee for estate planning documents, or an average of $302 per hour.
If you didn’t need a lawyer for a will, it would cost less. In England, where nonlawyers can write wills, more people paid less than for their wills when written by a nonlawyer than those who had their will written by lawyers, and were comparably satisfied (84% with solicitor, 77% with nonlawyer will writer)
Divorce
In America, the divorce rate is 2.3 per 1,000.
California has the highest divorce filing fee ($435) and Wyoming has the lowest ($70).
In addition to attorney's fees, costs that can come up when filing for divorce include real estate appraisers, tax advisors, and child custody experts. While filing an uncontested divorce may not require a lawyer, it is difficult to navigate a divorce when there are contested issues between the former spouses without an attorney.
Bankruptcy
In 2022, there were 35,355 bankruptcy filings, including both commercial and individual filings.
On average, it takes 517 days from filing for bankruptcy for the case to be closed.
Filing for bankruptcy pro se, or without an attorney, is extremely difficult due to the complicated Federal Bankruptcy Code and local codes that the filer must be familiar with. Non-lawyer document preparers exist to help individuals file for bankruptcy without obtaining a lawyer. However, in most cases these individuals are only allowed to enter information into forms, and cannot give you legal advice, assist you in court, or answer your legal questions.
Employment
Over 70,000 charges against employers for unfair practices were resolved in 2020. Retaliation was the most common cause for charges to be filed, but others included age discrimination, harassment, and pregnancy discrimination.
It is extremely difficult to file a lawsuit against an employer without a lawyer, especially because most businesses will be able to obtain a lawyer.
Housing
Total rent debt in the United States is over $15 billion after the pandemic.
Rent has increased 16% between 2020 and 2021, and eviction filings have dramatically increased.
Those who want to contest their evictions have to appear in court, but their chances of delaying eviction without a lawyer are much lower than they are with legal representation.
Small Business
In 2022, there were 33.2 million small businesses in the US, employing 61.7 million employees.
A lawyer may be needed when running a small business to deal with any lawsuits from employees or former employees, form a limited liability partnership or corporation, negotiate the selling of your company, or make sure you are in compliance with relevant laws in your area.
The most common legal problems reported by small business owners include trading issues, tax issues, and employee problems. Online legal entities can provide help to people looking to start a small business, despite pushback against these service providers from parts of the lawyer establishment.
Only 46% of Americans have wills.
Rural populations and African-American populations have wills at lower rates than the average.
Heirs of those who die without wills receive on average 1/4 of the inheritance of the heirs of those who die with wills.
Dying without a will increases time spent in probate, which on average costs $12K in legal fees.
A lawyer can cost $1000-$2000 as a flat fee for estate planning documents, or an average of $302 per hour.
If you didn’t need a lawyer for a will, it would cost less. In England, where nonlawyers can write wills, more people paid less than for their wills when written by a nonlawyer than those who had their will written by lawyers, and were comparably satisfied (84% with solicitor, 77% with nonlawyer will writer)
Divorce
In America, the divorce rate is 2.3 per 1,000.
California has the highest divorce filing fee ($435) and Wyoming has the lowest ($70).
In addition to attorney's fees, costs that can come up when filing for divorce include real estate appraisers, tax advisors, and child custody experts. While filing an uncontested divorce may not require a lawyer, it is difficult to navigate a divorce when there are contested issues between the former spouses without an attorney.
Bankruptcy
In 2022, there were 35,355 bankruptcy filings, including both commercial and individual filings.
On average, it takes 517 days from filing for bankruptcy for the case to be closed.
Filing for bankruptcy pro se, or without an attorney, is extremely difficult due to the complicated Federal Bankruptcy Code and local codes that the filer must be familiar with. Non-lawyer document preparers exist to help individuals file for bankruptcy without obtaining a lawyer. However, in most cases these individuals are only allowed to enter information into forms, and cannot give you legal advice, assist you in court, or answer your legal questions.
Employment
Over 70,000 charges against employers for unfair practices were resolved in 2020. Retaliation was the most common cause for charges to be filed, but others included age discrimination, harassment, and pregnancy discrimination.
It is extremely difficult to file a lawsuit against an employer without a lawyer, especially because most businesses will be able to obtain a lawyer.
Housing
Total rent debt in the United States is over $15 billion after the pandemic.
Rent has increased 16% between 2020 and 2021, and eviction filings have dramatically increased.
Those who want to contest their evictions have to appear in court, but their chances of delaying eviction without a lawyer are much lower than they are with legal representation.
Small Business
In 2022, there were 33.2 million small businesses in the US, employing 61.7 million employees.
A lawyer may be needed when running a small business to deal with any lawsuits from employees or former employees, form a limited liability partnership or corporation, negotiate the selling of your company, or make sure you are in compliance with relevant laws in your area.
The most common legal problems reported by small business owners include trading issues, tax issues, and employee problems. Online legal entities can provide help to people looking to start a small business, despite pushback against these service providers from parts of the lawyer establishment.
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