This report presents the findings of the first empirical investigation into the emergence of ‘blended advice’ after the COVID-19 pandemic. Blended advice, sometimes referred to as ‘hybrid advice’, refers to models of advice delivery which involve providing legal advice through some combination of face-to-face interaction and remote communications.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the advice sector underwent a rapid period of change as organisations developed new working practices and implemented ‘blended advice’ models. Distinct from fully face-to-face advice and fully remote advice, blended advice refers to models of advice delivery which involve some combination of face-to-face and remote provision.

Funding provided by the MOJ to advice organisations coincided with this rapid period of change in the sector. The Legal Support Litigants in Person (LSLIP) grant launched by the MOJ in April 2020, provided £3 million funding for earlier intervention services across England and Wales to support litigants in person. To evaluate the ways that advice organisations were using blended delivery models and to consider lessons learnt for the future, research was conducted to examine how LSLIP organisations innovated with remote advice provision and blended advice models.

This report presents the findings of the research, including the opportunities and challenges of blended advice models and how they can be utilised to expand the accessibility of advice and increase the efficiency of frontline services.