The pandemic has exacerbated California’s existing legal needs crisis by increasing the number of legal problems people face. Housing, family law, employment, and navigating government benefits are among the areas where Californians have faced a growing number of legal problems, while the economic downturn has left them even less able to afford a lawyer.

One way to alleviate this crisis would be to allow people to seek the assistance of licensed independent paralegals in handling their legal problems. Consumers would benefit from having a range of expertise and prices among legal service providers.