With all due respect, that isn't an "insiders" POV, you say that you've heard a story first hand from a person involved in the legal process, thats not the same thing.  I'm not saying that my profession is squeeky clean but I am criticising your willingness to hang us out to dry.

Criticisms of legal aid should not be levelled at solicitors as we are not the people who design or operate the system.  Legal aid work is definitely not a money spinner.  We make a considerable amount less doing legal aid work than private work.  If you've got a problem with the system complain to the government who put it there.

Your point about the court brief is a fair one (assuming the story is accurate).  That however is a criticism of an individual, not a profession.  He should have complained to the bar council IMHO.

Your point about personal injury lawyers is unclear.  I'm not sure what you're basing your statement on.  There are many urban myths about personal injury law.  Take it from me, those lawyers only tend to take on cases which have a decent liklihood of success, hence the no win no fee thing.

Matt J

If I wanted to listen to an arsehole, I'd fart!

This 2 years after another firm cost me £4,500 to sue my wife for divorce on grounds of adultery, yet somehow ended up getting a divorce on grounds of mutual incompatability- a process which still took a remarkable 2 years to achieve.

Then there's the firm who handled the sale of our flat/purchase of house who dithered about collecting search paperwork for so long we had to drop the price by 20k to make the sale, who when questioned about their conduct explained that they thought we would want to buy the house before we sold the flat- how? with what? we're not bloody solicitors!

So all of this negative personal experience coming on top of over 20 years of supporting young people through  "couldn't care less",  or worse- completely cynical solicitors who see the legal system as a gravy train and seeing them either sold on the idea of criminality being easy, or sold down the river during "care" hearings, I don't think it's surprising that my "insider" view has left me with a very low opinion of the legal profession.

I won't labour over the "insiders" POV point.  TBH I didn't know that you'd been involved in the YJS.  What I meant when talking about an "insiders" POV is more that if you are going to criticise a profession it is good practice to have a first hand discussion with them first.

I can definitely sympathise with your situation and why previous dealings would give you a negative viewpoint.  I will however defend my profession from sweeping criticisms.  I could level equally critical views at social workers.  I have experienced individuals who have time and time again been let down by social workers.  I wouldn't want to level such sweeping criticisms because I haven't sat down with them and spoken with them about the job.

I'm not going to go into how much your solicitors charged you.  This is a competative industry and it is possible to haggle solicitors down on their charging rates or to go elsewhere.  I also don't want to go into the issue of your divorce too much although 2 years may or may not be a long time for it to have taken.  I predominantly specialise in matrimonial/family law.  2 years may or may not be a rediculous amount of time depending on the circumstances.

My next question would be whether or not you complained about any of these firms.  Solicitors are accountable to their regulatory bodies and to the law.  If a firm did something you didn't instruct them to do then comlain about it.

Anyway, my point is that it is unreasonable to damn all of us because of a few bad experiences (granted some of them do sound particularly bad).

Matt J

If I wanted to listen to an arsehole, I'd fart!

More to the point I've known colleagues who were as lazy as hell in Youth service and really were (are) a waste of public money, just hanging in waiting to retire!

So its alright to tar all Solicitors with the same brush but not Youth Workers?

J

 Yes, well . There's always one, OK, pay attention to the first quote, which  is me saying to Matt, yes you're right- even though I have huge amounts of experience of dodgy solicitors, I acknowledge that my own profession isn't perfect either.

Then the second quote which is you missing the point.

 Perfect we don't need- not asleep on sofa while "supervising" a youth club full of kids, would be good, being in the pub every night while being paid £30K a year to do streetwork is (I think) well out of order- but what's possibly worse is not getting sacked when discovered, but moved to another area!