Consuming passions

So, the Consumers' Association tells us that clients are not happy with the service provided by solicitors funded by the CLS.

We also hear that City firms are to raise their billing targets to 1,800 chargeable hours per annum to balance recent pay increases.At 200 per hour, that City lawyer generates 360,000 in fee income.

Assuming a charging rate of 60 per hour (which errs on the generous side) to earn 360,000 a CLS funded family lawyer would have to produce 6,000 chargeable hours, which translates to 16.48 chargeable hours per day, assuming no holidays and a seven day week.Someone needs to tell the Consumers' Association and, perhaps more importantly, the Lord Chancellor, you get what you pay for.

Alternatively, how about giving us family lawyers charity status.Pat Barton, Hayes, Son and Richmond, Doncaster