I am now convinced that the Legal Services Commission is living in a parallel universe. My sense of foreboding about how they are going to destroy family legal aid firms, their work and the service they provide to vulnerable members of our society, in my mind, is now confirmed.

This is based upon the handling of the mental health contracts. Firms have only received 30%–70% of what they bid for due to a large influx of new providers. So firms with an enormous depth of knowledge and expertise, and many panel members, are going to be severely restricted in the services they can offer. The Gazette of 1 July reported that many new mental health contractors have no expertise or panel solicitors, and are scurrying around trying to recruit staff.

In the family law contract confusion, delay and uncertainty reigns . An update was posted on 2 July saying that firms who had failed at the PQQ/essential criteria stage were in the process of being informed. This was due on 21 May with an appeal deadline of 4 June . When are contracts going to be announced? Early July has been mentioned. The policy team refuse to give any information. Meanwhile, firms continue in limbo, unable to do any business planning.

What further shambles do we face? Too few firms in an area to enable each party in a case to be represented and to deal with conflicts of interest? Too many firms with uneconomic numbers of matter starts? How can we have any faith that the LSC will create a workable system?

Hilary Freeman, consultant with Scott-Moncrieff Harbour & Sinclair, London NW5 and with Earl & Crocker, Liskeard, Cornwall