INDEPENDENCE DAY

I note with dismay the continuing number of articles suggesting the demise of the smaller legal practice.

A healthy ingredient of our profession is the mixture of practices and the small high-street practice has an important role to play.

The Law Society President is keen to suggest that some elements of the legal process might be dealt with by less qualified staff.What you cannot dismiss is the fact that a couple purchasing their first property are probably embarking on one of the biggest financial ventures of their life.

Professional and independent advice must be a priority and something the Law Society must fight hard to preserve.Today, the big corporation can exert a powerful influence.

It is vital to protect the independence of the profession.DR Ross, Watkins Stewart & Ross Solicitors, Ipswich, Suffolk