The Law Council of Australia has demanded Legal Aid become an election issue after a poll found eight out of 10 Australians supported the service.

The independent poll commissioned by the council showed 80 per cent of Australians were in favour of free legal help for those in need.

The council launched a campaign called Legal Aid Matters to call for additional funding last month, saying at least 45,000 people were forced to represent themselves in court since 2009 because the service was in crisis mode.

The Productivity Commission handed down a recommendation legal assistance services funding be increased by $200 million in 2014.

But the council said the Federal Government had ignored that recommendation and the Opposition had not announced any plans to boost funding.

President Stuart Clark said neither political party was consulting with the council and politicians had misjudged the issue.

"I think they assumed that Legal Aid was not an issue which was touching the minds of the average voter," Mr Clark said.

"What this survey shows is that Australians have a very, very firm belief in the right of their fellow Australians to be represented when they go to court."

Fears 'the situation is going to get worse'

Mr Clark said an extra $350 million was needed to properly fix the service.

"We are, however, realistic in the sense that maybe that won't all come in one budget round," he said.

"But unless the Government is prepared to do something now, or whichever party forms government after July 2 are prepared to do something now, the situation is going to get worse and worse and worse."

Mr Clark said that due to successive government funding cuts, only 8 per cent of Australians qualified for Legal Aid under the current means test.

He said even those living below the poverty line were unlikely to qualify.

"We're not just talking about people like ice dealers," he said.

"These are Australians who may be a woman with two or three children whose marriage has sadly broken down and is now facing the prospect of trying to reach a financial settlement with her former husband in circumstances where she's forced to go to court without a lawyer."