Dissatisfied women solicitors to quit PI

Almost a third of personal injury solicitors are wavering over whether to give up the practice area and even the profession itself in favour of a less stressful job, with women lawyers citing sexism as a major reason, research by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has found.The survey of 131 APIL members also found that women partners make just 43,000 on average, compared to 52,000 for men.

Female associates earn an average 35,500 - 3,750 more than men, which APIL attributes to more women being senior associates as they are less likely to make partner.The survey discovered that 7% predict they will have stopped personal injury work in five years' time, with a further 24% admitting they did not know where their future lay.

Similar proportions said they would either change their specialisms or leave the law altogether.Many of those intending to stay in the PI field said they will consider leaving if the funding system does not change.

Almost half - 46% - feared redundancy may leave them with no choice.Overall, 55% said they experienced 'moderate' stress at work, with 26% saying they suffer from stress 'a lot'.Colin Ettinger, an APIL executive committee member, said the future is bleak unless cases such as Callery v Gray and Sarwar v Alam are resolved soon.Spencer Baker, personal injury associate at Reading-based Barrett & Co, agreed that explaining conditional fee agreements to clients was arduous.'Then at the end of the case you are stuck having to negotiate success fees with the other side, plus you have to deal with the costs assessors,' he complained.

Mr Ettinger said the findings on pay were disturbing, and added: 'It is both disappointing and difficult to understand why the differences are so pronounced.'Many women also cited difficulties in combining motherhood with work as a reason for leaving the law.

While only 27% of female respondents had children, half of male solicitors did.Anthea Grainger, chairwoman of the Association of Women Solicitors, warned that firms must be flexible if they want to keep female staff.'Although many cases can be broken down into short procedures undertaken by different fee-earners, partners do not always look for the best ways of retaining staff who may be experienced, but who want to work part time,' she said.A Lord Chancellor's Department spokeswoman said many lawyers have embraced the reforms topersonal injury funding and adapted their practices to the new arrangements.

'We are going through aperiod of change, and the department is keen to work with APIL and others on their concerns as the new system beds down,' she said.By Paula Rohan