Give lawyers a break

I am sure I speak for many solicitors who find the conclusions of the Consumers' Association (CA) both exasperating and depressing (see [2000] Gazette, 18 May, 16).The vast majority of my colleagues who practise family law are competent and dedicated and have entered this field out of a genuine desire to help those who are disadvantaged.

Many are not junior but experienced lawyers who have devoted their careers to legally aided work.Give us a break.

We accept the burden of a stressful job dealing with difficult and emotional issues.

We adhere to the new demands of the Community Legal Service and the bureaucracy that comes with it.

What is hard to stomach is the seeming disrespect from the Lord Chancellor's Department and agencies such as the CA for the services we provide.The provision of state-funded legal services to those who are vulnerable is an important ingredient in a civilised society.

If the current trends continue, many firms will not be able to continue to do this work.

Nick Hodson, Jones Maidment Wilson, Manchester