Law Society members thankfully rejected the plan for an affiliate category for non-solicitors. The Society is for solicitors. We do not want the brand diluted, and extra administration and costs introduced in permitting others even to be ‘associated’ with the Society. Instead, the aim should be for simplicity and cost cutting with concentration on core duties. The tradition that Law Society members are all solicitors is preserved, but no one must be complacent. It is a battle to maintain the status quo. The old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is never popular with people charged with ‘doing something’.

Susan Singleton, Singletons, Pinner.