Statistical Overview of Self-Represented Litigants

John-Paul Boyd brought together some very interesting data about self-represented litigants in an article published last week on Slaw.ca:

"The demographic information on litigants without counsel available to date reveals a number of interesting patterns: most litigants appear to be 40 years old and older, and people in that age range are involved in litigation at rates far higher than those in younger age groups; although most litigants have lower incomes, a significant number have incomes around or exceeding the average income; and, litigants’ often high incomes match their educational achievements, which often exceed the average. All of this information strikes me as potentially useful when designing services and reforming processes for litigants without counsel."

He looked at studies compiled by the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, the British Columbia Supreme Court and the University of Windsor's Julie Macfarlane who leads the National  Self-Represented  Litigants  Project.

Earlier Library Boy posts on the topic include:

• University of Windsor Law Prof Finds Self-Represented Litigants Going Through "Real Trauma" (June 6, 2012): "University of Windsor law professor Julie Macfarlane is interviewing hundreds of self-represented litigants in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. about their experiences in the family and civil court systems. As part of her research so far, she has discovered that up to 80 per cent of people in family court and 60 per cent in civil cases represent themselves. This has to do with lower funding for legal aid programs and the greater availability of legal information online. She explained to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday that many people are having a bad experience ..."
• Study Shows Many Self-Represented Litigants Treated With Contempt (January 3, 2013): "Earlier this week, the Ottawa Citizen reported on a research project being conducted by University of Windsor law professor Julie Macfarlane on the experiences of self-represented litigants in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. According to Macfarlane's preliminary findings, based on interviews with 280 litigants, one common feature is deep frustration with the judicial system, even emotional trauma..."