Profit is a necessary thing.

Without it we cannot survive in business.

In addition, although it may be unfashionable to admit it, I became a solicitor so that I could earn a reasonable living.

Con-veyancing is still the best way of achieving this.It was not that long ago that solicitors were properly paid.

That we currently have the lowest charges in the western world is not some pre-ordained divine punishment for past sins.

It is more th e result of an appalling error of judgment in the mid-1980s when we were first allowed to advertise on the restricted basis that if we mentioned conveyancing we had to offer a written quotation.That decision condemned us all to an unnecessary price war which has culminated in the suicidally low fees now being offered by some desperate firms.

Such a situation would make little sense in any business but in the supply of professional services it goes against all recognised marketing precepts.Those who deal with conveyancing daily know that the whole process is becoming increasingly complicated due to the rapidly proliferating requirements of lenders and an increasing legacy of faulty titles arising from the inadequate care taken by some cut-price conveyancers in recent years.The idea that we can predict in advance what work will be involved in a particular case is misguided and simplistic.

Those who argue that we should commit ourselves to a fixed quotation at the beginning of a case mean well, but fail to appreciate the overwhelming pressure to undercharge that this creates.

An artificially low price is a false economy for a client if it results in the destruction of the network of convenient local solicitors' firms that have served the community well over many years.Rather than continue the downward spiral we must all take the drastic step of abandoning fixed quotations and return to the traditional method of charging by the hour for work done.This may sound old fashioned but it works and its fairness is obvious as those clients whose cases are time consuming pay more than those whose cases are straightforward.

We started this process about four years ago and can confirm that it is well worth the effort involved.Our experience in time costing files using the standard six-minute unit for letters and phone calls indicates that some transactions take as little as four hours.

The majority of transactions take between six and eight hours but a few have ended up nearer 20 hours.Because we send out a leaflet explaining how we charge right at the beginning of a case, keep clients informed of what is happening and, most importantly, get them to sign an agreement for legal services which complies with s.57 of the Solicitors Act, few raise any objection.In those cases which have been queried we have been able to show that the work was necessary and the bill justified.

Depending on your charging rate, you can work out the costs yourself and, if they sound high, it is only because we are all so used to undercharging.

Comparisons with what lawyers in other countries charge and what our predecessors earned puts it into perspective.Practitioners may feel it is a good idea but impossible to put into practice without losing all their clients.

The answer is to start by abandoning the idea that you must win every case at any price.

Work for work's sake is pointless.If you judge each case by whether or not it is profitable you will soon find that the few clients lost by refusing to commit yourself to a fixed fee are more than compensated for by those who pay the proper amount.

Having the courage to start this can be hard but once you have experienced the advantages of traditional charging you will never want to go back.Surprisingly you will also find that most clients are happy to pay a bit more if they receive in return the help and guidance they need to make what is for many of them a worrying and confusing exercise easier and less stressful.Most clients concentrate on price only because they have little idea of what we do and can think of no other question to ask.

It is up to the solicitor to explain the advantages of using someone who will look after them and provide a decent service.

If, after that, they still want the cheapest firm available let them go; almost certainly they will not be clients worth having.Concentrate on providing those clients you do get with a decent service and charge accordingly.

Do not undervalue yourself or your profession.A return to sensible and fair pricing is so crucial to our profession that I am more than happy to help any interested firm take the necessary steps.

If you would like advice or a copy of our client leaflet explaining how we charge, write with a stamped addressed envelope.

If you have any comments or suggestions I would be delighted to hear from you.