Solicitors shunning legal aid work as pay rates fall

Some of the most experienced solicitors are deserting legal aid work amid a shake-up of the scheme which will see their pay rates drop further. The exodus is particularly acute among expert lawyers who represent children and parents in cases where local authorities are threatening to take the children into care. The departure of some of the leading specialists raises concerns about the quality of representation for parents at risk of losing their children, who often face complex medical evidence which is hard to rebut.

Solicitors shunning legal aid work as pay rates fall guardian.co.uk Mon, Jan 7, 2008