Not the hardest word ; ;John Alcock (see [2000] Gazette, 23 November, 19) should not be puzzled by the distinction of an admission of fault and an expression of regret as it is an everyday legal reality.

;A client in a motor collision gets out of the car and, seeing that a passenger in the other vehicle is injured, says that he is sorry about the pain and distress.

Prima facie, he may have avoided cover by admitting fault, but it could also be that he has reacted as any decent person would be likely to and is expressing regret at the suffering before him.

There is no inconsistency in the same driver going on to say that it was not his fault.

;So, too, with client compl-aints.

An excellent report by Bristol University (An Investigation into In-house Complaints Handling by Solicitors Christensen, Day and Worthington, June 1998) showed that many avoidable problems stemmed from solicitors adopting a semi-judicial approach to complaints handling, much as Mr Alcock seems to be advocating.

The issue is limited to right and wrong and a finding either way.

The alternative is to adopt the commercial approach advocated by Mike Frith (see [2000] Gazette, 9 November, 18).

The client is unhappy and will want this to be acknowledged by the firm.

In such circumstances I am sorry you are unhappy with our services need not compromise the firm.

;Mr Alcock would seem to be in good company, however.

The advice of former Law Society President Tony Girling in his recent round of lectures on indemnity insurance is that insurers may tend to see sorry as an admission of fault and it is as well to check the position with the insurers first to ensure validity of cover.

If a hardening of approach by insurers means that more avoidable problems are referred to Leamington Spa then, given the much publicised threat to take complaints handling out of the professions hands, and notwithstanding recent successes in managing the backlog of complaints, we will all have grounds to be depressed.

;Matthew Moore, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.