Multiple Justiciable Problems: Common Clusters and Their Social and Demographic Indicators

Justiciable problems do not always occur in isolation. However, little empirical research has examined multiple problems in depth by identifying common clusters of problems, their extent, and those who experience them. The Legal Services Research Centre's Periodic Survey of Justiciable Problems is a large‐scale survey undertaken in England and Wales, documenting 5,611 respondents’ experience of 21 discrete problem categories. Having assessed the overall incidence and overlap of problem types, hierarchical cluster analysis, based on each respondent's experience of these categories, was used to identify clusters. We then established social and demographic predictors of each cluster using mixed‐effects Poisson regression and examined each problem type's likelihood of overlapping with further problems, both within and between identified clusters. We highlight policy implications of our findings, particularly concerning developing “joined‐up” solutions to multiple “joined‐up” problems.