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How long would some judges last in private practice, with all the admin, difficult clients, costs pressures, competing priorities etc etc? They see the polished, well-presented less-than 1% of disputes that solicitors didn't manage to settle. What judges don't see, or appreciate, is the hard graft that goes into that 99%, or often even the 1% that they hear, and sometimes criticise unrestrainedly even though the court service is often dismal, slow, disorganised and obscenely priced. Piffle, apparent from the 'grown up' comment directed at solicitors. And litigation costs have gone through the roof since the CPR 'evolved' from a useful and progressive booklet into the unwieldy monstrosity that it now is, complete with time-wasting costs budgeting for, as someone else here has described, work that often won't be done. Wake up call for judges when they're faced with disorganised and aggressive LiPs, it's about the only time they get a taste of the real world. Now toddle off back to the cosy, quiet tower to relax, resplendent with the many millions of pounds of fees that you took when you were at the bar, from solicitors to whom you should be extremely grateful, not critical or patronising.