Many of those against the reimposition of the referral fees ban seem concerned about the effect this would have on those who pay such fees for the introduction of work.

The reason why solicitors have traditionally not shared our fees with introducers is because the introducers will progressively squeeze the profit out of the product. Solicitors' firms that rely on this work will be driven out of business anyway. They are already paid so little for this bulk work that their lawyers have little interest in doing the work.


Our strength as a profession is that we will take care of our clients. Commercial organisations have no such sense of duty, and will abuse and misuse the client.


It is up to solicitors to lead on the referral fees argument. The argument is that solicitors take their fees, but that they represent only the interests of the client.


No one else does that. They are not trained to do it, are not bound to do it and see no point in doing it.


Andrew Cohen, Woking