Rethinking consumer vulnerability in the legal services sector
The case for the Universal Practice Approach (UPA)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17820254 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Paolo Baffero (0009-0006-0184-2420, University of South Wales, corresponding author), Harriet Pierpoint (0000-0003-3886-5010, University of South Wales) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 234-260 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Oñati Socio-legal Series (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2079-5971 • E-ISSN: 2079-5971 |
| Publisher | Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (PUBLISHER • ES) |
| DOI | 10.35295/osls.iisl.2402 |
| OpenAlex | W4416590793 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
Vulnerability remains a contested concept in legal services, with traditional models often reinforcing stigma through risk-based identification. This article introduces the Universal Practice Approach (UPA), which reframes vulnerability as a universal, dynamic experience, and calls for proactively inclusive legal services grounded in universal access, trust based provider-user relationships, and the integration of lived expertise. Based on an extensive evidence review and qualitative research with relevant parties, including lived experts, in England, the UPA is built on six mechanisms: (1) inclusive and proactive service design, (2) co-development with lived experts, (3) empowering provider-user interviews, (4) embedding lived experts and community partners in service provision, (5) training of legal practitioners, and (6) iterative feedback loops, aligning with regulatory aims such as those of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. By centring universal access and collaborative practice, the UPA offers a transformative path towards a more just and equitable legal system
Inclusion (mineral) · Lived experience · Qualitative research · Service (business) · Service provider · Transformative learning · Universal design · Universal service · Vulnerability (computing) · Artificial Intelligence in Law · Elder Abuse and Neglect · Legal Education and Practice Innovations
On the Rule of Law
Vulnerabilities, Care and Family Law
Vulnerability’
The sexual abuse of people with learning difficulties
Justice on the line? A comparison of telephone and face-to-face advice in social welfare legal aid
Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The Many Faces of Vulnerability
Vulnerability and Victimization
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |