Experience With State Courts Highlights Areas for Improvement

National poll shows 1 in 3 adults are in households with court experience, which affects their opinions of the judicial system

Issue Brief August 4, 2025

Overview

Throughout the country, people rely on state and local courts to resolve a wide variety of issues, from traffic tickets and divorces to debt cases and shoplifting charges.¹ These interactions can affect their lives, their communities, and their opinions of the legal system.

To learn more about how people in the U.S. interact with and view courts, The Pew Charitable Trusts conducted a national poll of 2,016 adults in August and September 2024. The poll, administered by public opinion polling firm SSRS, asked individuals about their general perceptions of the state and local courts in their communities, their interactions with these institutions, and their priorities for improving the courts.² (All data in this chartbook is from the survey unless otherwise noted. See the methodological appendix for more information.)

Across dozens of questions, several key trends emerged. The poll found that 1 in 3 U.S. adults live in households that had been involved in a court case at some point, meaning that either the survey respondent or someone living with them had had a civil or criminal case before a state or local court, by either initiating or defending a case.

Many respondents said that this court experience had taken a toll on their mental and financial well-being. Households with court experience graded courts as "D" or "F" twice as often as those without. Contrary to what people might expect, defendants or those who lose their cases are not the only court users to hold critical views of the courts—the poll found that plaintiffs and winners often do too. For example, almost 1 in 5 people who won their cases nevertheless emerged with less confidence in the courts than when they started, and nearly 3 in 10 said their financial security was harmed. Still, many saw ways that courts could improve: About half of respondents said that state courts should prioritize their resources for the most serious matters before them, such as those that might break up a family or land someone in prison. And people from all walks of life, both with and without court experience, said that state courts should prioritize their resources for the most serious matters before them, including public safety cases.

The poll revealed some of the challenges courts face in effectively interacting with the people they serve and highlighted opportunities for meaningful change. Courts and court stakeholders, including policy experts and community advocates, can use the insights from the poll to guide examinations of state and local courts and identify reforms that can make courts work better for individuals and communities.

Note: Respondents were asked: “Have you or someone in your household ever had a court case for a civil, family, traffic, or criminal matter, that was not part of your work or jury duty?” and “Which of the following best describes the reason for having to attend court?”

Source: SSRS, “Courts and Communities Survey,” 2024

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In the U.S.,1 in 3 adults—equivalent to 91 million people—reported that a member of their household has had a case in their local court. The most common reasons for having a court case were traffic tickets (24%) and family matters (23%), including child custody matters or divorce, followed by misdemeanors (13%) and debt collection (8%).

Family matters make up only a small share of the cases filed in state and local courts, but because more individuals may be connected to a single case (e.g., grandparents, siblings) and cases may take longer to be resolved, these cases are a common way that people throughout the U.S. interact with courts.

Consumer debt cases and housing disputes such as evictions—civil cases that typically involve relatively small dollar amounts but carry serious financial implications for U.S. adults—were cited as reasons for court involvement by 15% of respondents.³

Among U.S. adults, 23% have personally had a case in court for a civil, family, traffic, or criminal matter. Men reported having had a court case at a higher rate than women (28% versus 18%), and adults with some college had a higher rate than those with degrees (about 28% versus 16%). There were also differences based on political affiliation, with Republicans reporting higher rates of having had a court case than Democrats.

Court experience, in which the respondent or a member of their household had a court case, also varied across demographic groups. Among White respondents, 37% reported court experience versus 39% of Black respondents, 29% of Hispanic or Latino respondents, and 19% of Asian respondents. Across all demographic groups, most respondents who reported court involvement said that they (or their household member) had been a defendant (66%) rather than a plaintiff (25%).

More U.S. adults (38%) rate courts as average (“C”) than any other grade. Marks of “A” or “B” were given by about one-third of respondents.

U.S. adults with court experience—meaning that they or a household member have had a court case—were more likely to give a “D” or “F” (26%) grade than those who had no court experience (11%).

Of those who gave “D” or “F” grades, 45% said that they trusted court staff “not at all” and 42% said that the experience was “very unfair.”

Experiences were slightly more favorable for court navigation and respect. Thirty-seven percent of those who gave courts a “D” or “F” said that they did not receive any respect, and 32% said that navigating court was very hard.

Having a matter in court (involving either themselves or a member of their household) affected some people’s faith in the institution. About half of respondents said that their confidence in the courts changed after their most recent interaction: 14% said their confidence increased, 35% said it decreased. Half of the respondents (51%) said that their confidence in the courts stayed about the same.

Unsurprisingly, people who lost their cases were more likely than other respondents to report diminished confidence. However, people who won their cases were almost as likely to have lost confidence in the courts (19%) as to have gained confidence (22%), suggesting that the process (not just the outcome) may affect an individual’s confidence.

Note: Respondents were asked: “How would you rate the ease or difficulty of navigating your household’s most recent court matter, for example, understanding the steps of the case or understanding the court forms?”

Source: SSRS, “Courts and Communities Survey,” 2024

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People had trouble navigating court across demographic groups: Slightly more than half of respondents with court experience, meaning that they or a household member had a court case, said that it was “a little hard” or “very hard” to understand the steps of the case and court forms.

Defendants and plaintiffs responded similarly, with 52% of both groups citing navigability as “a little” to “very” hard. A slightly higher share of college graduates reported that processes were “very hard” compared with those with a high school education or less, and people from low-income households reported slightly more difficulty than those with higher household incomes.

Respondents said that court matters were challenging to parse even for relatively minor cases such as traffic tickets (44%), and 1 in 5 people dealing with family matters said that it was “very hard” to navigate their case.

Although court users cited challenges, most respondents said that court staff treated them with respect, suggesting that challenges are more related to processes than to problems with individual court staff.

Most respondents who reported having had court experience, meaning that they or a household member have had a court case, said that they had received respect from judges and other court staff. Thirty-nine percent said they had received “some” respect, 22% said that they received “a lot,” 23% “a little,” and 17% said that they received “none at all.”

U.S. adults with only some secondary education reported slightly higher levels of respectful treatment than those with high school diplomas. Respondents also were more likely to report receiving “a lot” of respect if they won their case (34%).

Regardless of a case’s outcome, poll responses suggested that having a matter before the court—for an individual or a member of their household—affects people’s emotional health. Of respondents whose household lost their case, 34% said that their emotional and mental health worsened a lot as a result; 33% said it worsened somewhat. Of those whose household won their case, less than half (45%) said that their emotional and mental health improved as a result, and a quarter (25%) said that it worsened.

Respondents also reported that having a court experience affected their household’s financial security, regardless of the case’s outcome.

Overall, 67% of respondents whose household lost their case said that it threatened their financial security: 38% of people who lost their case said that their financial security worsened a lot as a result, and 29% said that it worsened somewhat. Among people whose household won, just 27% said that their financial security improved; 44% said that there was no effect; and 29% said that it worsened.

These findings underscore that win or lose, court cases can be expensive for all parties involved. Courts often charge fees for filing or responding to a case. Hiring a lawyer can be a significant expense. And taking time off work to attend hearings can result in lost wages. For some people, these expenses might outweigh the financial benefits that come with winning their case.

Respondents’ top priorities for improving the court system are to direct resources toward cases with the most serious consequences and to give people more ways to resolve certain cases or legal issues outside court.

And when asked to choose two priorities for court improvement, about half of respondents, including those with or without court experience, selected those same two responses.

Additionally, making courts easier to navigate without an attorney was the third-highest priority, selected as an important area for improvement by one-third of respondents. Although people have a right to counsel in criminal cases, in roughly 3 of 4 civil cases at least one side is not represented by a lawyer. ⁴

Respondents were asked how confident they are that courts treat people fairly based on factors such as race, financial means, and access to a lawyer. They were least confident that courts treat people without attorneys fairly (65% of people with court experience, and 50% of those without court experience).

Overall, people with court experience reported less confidence in fair treatment than those without court experience.

Note: Respondents were asked: Which statement comes closest to your views? As institutions funded in part by tax dollars, courts need to better use their resources to A. enable judges to process cases as quickly as possible and because courts should focus on minimizing costs, or B. make it easier for people to navigate the system and resolve legal issues and because courts should focus on the needs of community members.

Source: SSRS, “Courts and Communities Survey,” 2024

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Most U.S. adults, with and without court experience, say that making courts easier for users to navigate is more important than improving speed and minimizing costs for courts. Speed and cost savings were the choice of roughly one-third of respondents, while about two-thirds viewed courts as needing to better use their resources to make court easier to navigate and do a better job addressing the needs of community members.

Poll participants ranked technology and court flexibility, both of which can improve court navigability and court experience, as important focus areas. Most respondents support making virtual hearings available, and an overwhelming majority think that people should be able to reschedule their hearing if they have a legitimate reason, just as one would with a doctor’s visit.

Respondents also said that courts could better guide litigants about navigating processes and procedures while remaining neutral. Eighty percent of those with and without court experience agree with the statement “Explaining the steps of a case or how to fill out a form doesn’t compromise the court’s impartiality, it upholds it,” compared with the statement “If the court helped people understand court processes, like explaining the steps of a case or how to fill out a form, it’s no longer a neutral and unbiased venue.”

Conclusion

Approximately one-third of adults in the U.S. live in households in which someone has defended or initiated a court case, whether it be civil, criminal, family, or traffic-related. Although each person’s court experience is different, common themes emerged across respondent demographics from Pew’s poll: U.S. adults with court experience frequently reported that their court case had a significant negative effect on their emotional and mental health and their financial security, regardless of whether they won or lost. Plaintiffs and defendants alike generally gave courts low marks for usability and ease of navigation.

All respondents, regardless of whether they had experience with the courts, had similar priorities for making courts more effective. Most want courts to be more user-friendly, especially for people without lawyers, and to prioritize their resources for cases with the most serious consequences.

In light of the significant influence that state and local courts hold over people’s lives, court leaders can use these findings about public perception to strengthen public trust.

Data notes

Respondents with “court experience(s)” refers to U.S. adults who said that they or a member of their household have had a court case for a civil, family, traffic, or criminal matter that was not a part of their work or jury duty.

The estimated number of adults with court experience is derived from the total population ages 18 and older, as determined by the American Community Survey in 2022 and used by SSRS in conducting the poll.

Blank, refused, or unknown responses to a given question were excluded from the analysis for that question; these amounted to less than 1% of responses for each question.

Less than 2% of respondents did not select Male or Female, or Republican or Democrat; these responses are not included in analyses related to gender or political party.

About 15% of respondents said that they were not sure if they had won or lost, and 9% said the outcome had not been decided; those responses are not included in the analysis by outcome.

External reviewers

This report benefited from the insights and expertise of Jason Tashea, founding director of Judicial Innovation Fellowship at the Georgetown Law Center, and Colleen Shanahan, practice professor of law at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Although they reviewed various drafts of the brief and findings, neither they nor their organizations necessarily endorse the conclusions.

Acknowledgments

This survey was conducted for The Pew Charitable Trusts by SSRS, an independent research company. More information about SSRS can be found at https://ssrs.com/. The project team also thanks current and former Pew colleagues Demetra Aposporos, Gaby Bonilla, Maria Borden, Maureen Bowers, Erika Compart, Jennifer V. Doctors, Caroline Dufour, Sarah Godfrey, Tricia Olszewski, Chelsie Pennello, Sarah Spell, Chloe Stemler, Drew Swinburne, and Abby Takas for editorial, creative, communications, and research support.