I have to add my voice to what can only be termed as the legal aid tendering debacle where established existing providers have been cast aside in place of big boys/providers.

My practice is in the London borough of Havering. It has been established for over 50 years and been providing legal aid services for that entire period. There are only three other practices in the borough that provide legal aid services, and all have been established for many years. Since there were five contracts to be awarded we were all led to believe that we were not at risk.

Can you imagine our surprise when we discovered on 22 July 2010 that two of the four firms operating had not gained contracts and that the remaining two had had their contracts considerably reduced; 700 of the 900 matter starts going to new providers.

The process was not transparent; it was not a level playing field; we were not advised that we were at risk from outside providers. Who could foresee how they would be able to score more points. How could they? They were not providing family legal services in the procurement area.

In hindsight, looking at the application form it is easy to make promises; promising to have a child panellist; promising that you do not need to recruit; and promising to set up offices. Who polices these promises?

Many existing legal aid practices that have not been granted a contract face a very bleak future; there will certainly have to be redundancies and many firms will have to close. Is that the reward we get for supporting the legal aid scheme for so many years?

As established practices close down, new providers are in an unseemly rush to set up their practices and recruit staff, particularly child panel members. Hence the plethora of recruitment adverts.

I cannot believe I have been a practising solicitor for over 25 years with the whole ethos that justice has to be seen to be done; this is simply not just and is so unfair. The Law Society needs to act and it needs to act fast.

Tiina Juhanson , F Barnes & Son, Romford