This is the second in three major reports drawing on the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS). This volume focuses on exactly that - how do Victorians understand our law? It develops the concept of legal capability - the knowledge, attributes and resources you need to navigate the legal system.

This report explores how everyday legal problems are experienced, what people do about them and if they are resolved. These problems cover a whole range of issues people face in their lives, including those with goods and services, housing, fines, employment, family, government, debt and injury.

This document sets out the full text and routing of the PULS questionnaire, along with commentary on the theoretical background to questions, rationale for their inclusion, details of technical development, references to relevant past studies, as well as PULS showcards.

This report draws on findings from the Community Perspectives of Law Survey, an Australia-wide survey of over 1800 people which explored people’s understanding of the relevance of law and, in particular, whether lawyers are seen as important in relation to everyday scenarios.

This paper provides a framework for discussion around how Australian access to justice research, policy development and the delivery of public legal assistance services can best build upon the substantial evidence base made up of findings from ‘legal needs’ surveys undertaken in Australia and overseas.