Am I the only one to open my post every day and feel my heart sink when I see that I have yet another new matter on with a conveyancing factory?

You do not have to be a genius to work out that most, if not all of them, do not work effectively.

They are an embarrassment to the legal profession and a danger to the public.

The only aspect that is successful, probably, is that they are profitable.

But at what cost?

They are spreading like an uncontrollable cancer and because of their size and financial stability they appear unstoppable.

Eventually their very existence will kill off most high street legal practices and leave the public with no choice.

I do not mind good quality competition and will rise to any fair challenge.

However, the conveyancing factories I refer to are not a fair challenge.

They are only busy because they own, or buy work from, estate agency chains.

The local estate agents here in Devon (who are linked to them) have admitted to me that they do not want to recommend the factories, but have to in order to meet various targets.

When they, the estate agents themselves, want conveyancing work carried out they instruct me to act for them - not the firms that they have to recommend daily.

Rob Hailstone, Mann Jenkins, Bovey Tracey, Devon