Expensive briefs?

Ian Paul The Politics Show, BBC South

Protest: Legal aid costs taxpayers £2bn a year

What have the Law Society, the NSPCC, the Refugee Council, MIND, Shelter and the Child Poverty Action Group got in common?

Answer, they are all opposed to the government's planned changes to legal aid.

We have already seen a two-day work-to-rule by disgruntled criminal law solicitors, and the Law Society is considering demanding a judicial review.

Even the judges are getting in on the act, with the Master of the Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke, calling on the government to delay the changes.

Legal aid reviewed

It all stems from a review of the legal aid system by Lord Carter of Coles.

Currently legal aid is forecast to cost £2bn each year between now and 2012.

Lord Carter's proposals would pay lawyers a fixed fee for handling a case, rather than the per-hour billing at present.

Lawyers argue that their rates have remained static for the last twelve years, whilst their costs have risen by 50%.

And they say that under the new scheme, their pay would drop by 10%.

It might seem hard to get anxious about lawyers getting their briefs in a twist over how much they are paid.

Roger Peach: Fewer solicitors willing to take on legal aid cases

Fat cats?

But according to Roger Peach, president of the Criminal Defence Service Union, lawyers like him are far from being fat cats: "My bank manager looks on me as an emaciated gerbil.

"We are earning, per hour, about £48. Try getting your plumber to come to your home for £48 an hour."

And, he argues, these changes will have a knock-on effect in reduced numbers of solicitors willing to take on legal aid cases.

Not good for the clients or the lawyers.

Legal aid practice in decline

According to research done by the Law Society, the number of law firms taking on legal aid work has fallen from 3,500 to 2,600 in the last five years.

Only 7% of trainee solicitors are planning a career that would include legal aid work, and up to 800 law firms could close or merge because of the reforms.

Tabloid stories fuel the popular belief that legal aid soaks up too much money and maybe gives it to the wrong people.

Tales of convicted criminals getting legal aid to sue for accidents in prison, and of £500,000 for defending Abu Hamza might make it seem that money is being 'wasted'.

But is it being 'wasted' on the father or mother fighting for contact, or the woman wanting an injunction against an abusive partner, or someone going through a messy divorce?

Wendy Hewston may have to turn people away

Scale back

Wendy Hewstone is a Southampton solicitor who specialises in family law.

40% of her firm's workload is legal aid funded but she thinks they will have to scale back the amount they do.

That will mean having to turn people away.

"If it is a domestic violence case we try to go to court the same day with the client to get an injunction.

"But if we cannot take action immediately the person could be assaulted again."

What do you think?

Are we spending too much on legal aid? Are solicitors overpaid?

Are proposals like these going to disadvantage some of society's most vulnerable members?

Send us an email and join the debate.

You can also join Peter Henley live from ... this Sunday 18 February from 12:00 noon.

Send us an email with your thoughts, and join the debate.