The need to build public trust will inform a forthcoming Law Society campaign to promote the solicitor brand, after a high-profile survey revealed a contrasting picture of consumer perceptions.

Satisfaction with the value for money of legal services rose from 56% in 2011 to 59% this year, but the public’s trust in lawyers fell from 47% to 43%, a YouGov survey carried out for the Legal Services Consumer Panel showed. The research also found that consumers are exerting more power as they select which firms to use. Some 22% said they had shopped around, compared to 19% last year.

Consumers are also finding it easier to compare providers and to get a fixed-fee deal.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said solicitors are responding to the needs of consumers hit by the recession by offering better value for money. He added: ‘It is also reassuring that satisfaction with outcomes of legal work undertaken by solicitors remains high at over 83%.’

But Hudson was concerned by the fall in trust, suggesting it could have been influenced by the efforts of government and insurers to reduce access to legal redress.

Hudson said: ‘The Law Society is committed to reminding consumers of the benefits of using a solicitor. We are preparing the next phase of our marketing campaign, which reasserts the value of legal advice and support from qualified, regulated and insured professionals.

‘I trust that the Legal Services Board and others will join with the whole profession in rebuilding public trust.’

Online advertising, linked to the Society’s accreditation schemes, will begin in the next few weeks, while campaign posters and associated marketing material will appear in the autumn.

Firms will be able to order consumer-facing marketing materials aligned with the campaign in September.