I take issue with Susan Singleton's letter (see [2006] Gazette, 23 February, 14). There is a great deal of difference between a sole practitioner with no staff specialising in rather esoteric fields of law such as competition and intellectual property, compared to sole practitioners on the high street, who could be dealing with criminal law, immigration or elderly-client law, none of which allow sufficient profit to put aside money to cover one's retirement expenses (the final tax bill, professional indemnity, run-off cover, staff redundancy, etcetera).


When you are in your mid-40s, the world is still your oyster, but it is slightly different when you are in your mid-60s. I venture to suggest that those of us who have practised on the high street for the past 20-plus years would probably wish to retire sooner rather than later.



David P C O'Hagan, Bristol