Obiter was shocked this week to hear some sad news about the legal profession. Apparently lawyers are the ‘least happy’ professionals in the UK, according to recruiters Badenoch & Clark. In a survey of thousands of (pretty grumpy) professionals, only 52% of lawyers said they were content. That means that even if you are not feeling down in the dumps yourself, the chances are the poor sod sitting opposite you will be.

Mind you, thinking about it, solicitors do have quite a bit to be depressed about at the moment. There are the sky-high professional indemnity premiums, legal aid cuts in criminal and civil, a faltering property market making conveyancers redundant... hang on, doesn’t 52% seem a bit high?