Experience of legal problems tends to change as people move through life. Previous legal needs surveys demonstrate that age is a significant factor in the prevalence and nature of civil legal problems. This briefing paper presents data about the prevalence of justiciable problems among young people (aged 18–24) in Victoria, drawn from the Victoria Law Foundation’s Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS).

The PULS had 6,008 survey respondents, with 2,525 (42%) reporting having experienced one or more justiciable problem over the last two years. People aged 18–24 years made up 639 respondents, with 42% of young people reporting one or more justiciable problems.

However, when young people experienced justiciable problems, they were more likely to experience large clusters of problems simultaneously. Of the young people who reported problems, one in five (20%) reported more than five problems — the highest of any age group. Experience of large clusters (five or more problems) tended to decline with age.

The findings in this briefing paper are drawn from the Public Understanding of Law Survey Volume 1.