This report provides an update about developments in digital delivery of legal services in British Columbia, Ontario, England, Wales, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the US, Australia, and the Netherlands. It discusses some of the issues digital delivery of public legal education and information (PLE) raises for governments, funders, providers and users, including digital divides. It builds upon findings in an earlier report co-written by the same author.
He addresses the following topics in this report:
- online information, advice, and referral, including CLEO's Steps to Justice site
- interactive provision of services, including assisted document self-assembly, legal health checkups, guided pathways, and chatbots
- virtual legal practice
- crowd funding
- online dispute resolution
- online education, training, and support
- the development of new online information portals
The author also highlights best practices in thinking about digital delivery of PLE and evaluation. This might, for low-income users, require strategies such as integrating online delivery of legal information into face-to-face provision.