Satisfaction with Tayside and Fife courts has dropped significantly in every measure since local buildings were axed.
Figures from the Scottish Courts Service and Tribunals Service(PDF report) show the Sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife now has the worst satisfaction rating in Scotland.
A survey of court users in 2015 shows the area’s performance fell in every one of 18 measures.
Arbroath and Cupar sheriff courts closed in May 2014, putting extra strain on Dundee and Forfar.
The survey figures showed that only 45% of local respondents were satisfied with waiting times the worst score in Scotland and well below the Scottish average of 65%.
Tayside, Central and Fife had by far the poorest results in terms of communication over waiting times, with only 49% satisfied compared to 75% nationally.
Although the score for overall satisfaction was 75%, this was still the worst rate in the country by some way and represented a fall on 2013 levels.
Of the six other sheriffdoms, five recorded overall satisfaction rates above 91% with Lothian and Borders second from bottom on 85%.
The report underlined that the Tayside, Central and Fife reduction in helpfulness and politeness of court staff was “statistically significant”.
It stated: “The accuracy and helpfulness of information provided by court staff also show statistically significant decreases between 2013 and 2015.
“Similarly, satisfaction with attempts by court staff to keep respondents informed about how much longer they had to wait and why they had to wait also peaked in 2013 however, satisfaction levels dropped again in 2015 to be comparable to the 2011 score.”
Satisfaction with cleanliness, waiting areas, comfort, safety and toilets also saw the same reduction.
The report stated: “Most sheriffdoms have been affected by court closures over recent years, which may have had some impact upon the changes shown.
“Most of these changes have taken place between the 2013 and 2015 surveys.”
The survey took in 50 courts over seven weeks between May and July 2015, with almost 3,000 people taking part. Just over three-quarters were classified as non-professional users, with the most prevalent user type being an “accused in a criminal case”, while less than a quarter were professionals, mostly solicitors.
A Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service spokesman said: “The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is proud to be accredited for customer service excellence.
“The Tayside, Central and Fife results indicate in the Court Users’ Survey that the vast majority of our users are satisfied with the overall service we provide.”
“However, we appreciate that there is always room for improvement and we are analysing the results to identify the areas where action needs to be taken.”