Family solicitors hail rise

Family law specialists expressed delight at the news this week that members of the new second tier of the Law Society's family law panel will be entitled to a guaranteed 15% pay increase for publicly funded work.The decision by the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) and Legal Services Commission followed several months of lobbying by the Law Society, culminating in July's council vote approving a second and more specialised tier of the panel (see [2001] Gazette, 19 July, 4).The 15% pay boost was initially only available to members of the Solicitors Family Law Association (SFLA) panel and the Law Society's children panel, both smaller than the 3,000-strong family law panel.The Lord Chancellor had guaranteed similar rates for members of a specialised second tier of the Law Society family law panel, subject to certain standards approved by the Commission being reached.An LCD spokeswoman said the move was aimed at encouraging specialisation among solicitors.Assessments for entry to the second tier, which will only be available to existing panel members and will consist of approximately half of the current 3,000 panel members - who need to show greater experience and be at least five years' qualified - will take place next month, with the enhanced rates coming into force in April 2002.Peter Watson-Lee, chairman of the Law Society's family law committee, said he was 'delighted' by the development.

'The rate of pay for publicly funded work is so poor that an extra 15% for practitioners will be very welcome,' he said.Former SFLA chairwoman and new Law Society Council member Rosemary Carter also welcomed the announcement, and said it would have the effect of driving up practice standards in family law.

'The increase will also provide much-needed additional financial support for hard-pressed practitioners undertaking publicly funded work for families who are often at their most vulnerable,' she added.Victoria Maccallum