Report comment

To some extent I agree with the comment that we, the solicitors, are in part to blame for the demise of legal aid. Anyone remember the Green Form scheme? That was ruined by greedy solicitors, only a few I'm sure, getting their clients to sign numerous such forms when they came in for one issue.

Then i can clearly recall one solicitor I was on the opposing side of who, once he got a legal aid certificate for matrimonial ancillary matters, would never, ever settle whatever you offered. He knew it was not in his interests not to have his day in court. He could not care less about his client's welfare.

I suggest that each certificate should have a cap beyond which the solicitor will not be paid, but he can have the whole of that cap. In matrimonial cases that would work wonders, provided of course both sides were funded on the same basis. I propose, say, £5,000 per matrimonial ancillary in the provinces for an ordinary couple. Sort it out in five hours and you're on £1,000/hour. Take 50 hours and it becomes £100, and so on. It is the system which is in part to blame, too, when you are paid more for dragging it out longer.