U.S. legal system is too complex. (I have some friends who fought multiple lawsuits in the U.S.) I had two experiences at White Plains and Jersey City courts.

In my case against the unscrupulous landlord Joe, I didn’t need to pay much for advice, as I was lucky to have help from Greg, Jack He, Zhai etc, but I also noticed that two other victims of Joe (Zuhur and the plumber) dare not step up and provide a written witness. So I think the legal system is too complex and even intimidating for the poor and some of the middle class.

Even though U.S. laws are probably fair as written, the poor do not have access to (financial or otherwise) resources and receive a fair hearing. The rich tend to have multiple layers of defense. (Compare the expensive MyCarePlus)  One group have access and the other group has no access. The legal system is biased towards the Have’s.

— SG
Singapore legal system is actually less familiar to me, based on one small claim. I assume it is more accessible to the poor. This assumption is based on my numerous community counselling sessions, as described in this blogpost on resilience and seeking help

— English writing
One special effort and skill needed on the legal front is English writing. I feel this is 10 times more important than English speaking skill:

• if you can argue your case on paper with confidence, you will have no problem presenting your case verbally. However, you may feel challenged to respond in real time.
• if you are articulate verbally, you may not be able to write well.
• In the legal system, the written arguments have a larger audience. They can be summarized and sent to multiple departments. They can be posted online.