What wonderful news for us solicitors at the beginning of 2004.

We are empowered to pay money to yet someone else, under the guise of 'referral fees' just to get work at barely adequate rates.

The overriding principle behind the regulation of our fees is that they are reasonable.

There is no room therein for bribes paid to third parties.

So, logically the regulation of fees should now be abolished.

Laurence Mann, AL Hughes & Co, London