Not so long ago, the August hiatus was a soporific experience for the Gazette. Just two issues and no interactive website to tell you about real-time developments – not that there often were many, mind you, as the profession’s great and good decamped to southern Europe.

No longer. This month we have been kept even busier than usual, with small and medium-sized firms seemingly facing a perfect storm. Almost every aspect of their day-to-day work appears to be in a state of bewildering flux. What’s at the top of your agenda for the next partners’ meeting? The unravelling legal aid infrastructure? Conveyancing panel purges? How to source affordable professional indemnity insurance?

In respect of PII at least, the storm clouds are not quite as dark as they seemed a few weeks back, though it’s still shaping up to be a daunting renewal season. Vision Underwriting has come into the market; Lemma is increasing capacity; and now Travelers looks set to take on at least some of the sole practitioners left in limbo by Quinn’s travails.

Most firms will already have taken their first steps in the renewal process, and rightly so – this is not the year to leave it close to deadline. And if you’re having difficulties, do take the opportunity to contact the Law Society’s PII helpline, which opened this week, on 020 7320 9545 or PII@lawsociety.org.uk.