Crisis-hit solicitors consider future

THE COMBINATION of the collapse in conveyancing and other legal business, and the crisis in professional indemnity insurance, …

THE COMBINATION of the collapse in conveyancing and other legal business, and the crisis in professional indemnity insurance, is leading many solicitors to question whether they can continue, according to Adam, a sole practitioner in Longford.

Like most of the other solicitors attending the conference on new opportunities, he was reluctant to give his full name. He said he had never had an insurance claim, yet he expected a quote of €10,000 this year, compared with €3,300 last year and €2,000 the year before. “Unless I can get a long-term loan, I will not be able to continue in business,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds.”

Rosemary is already unemployed and does not expect to work again. “I am one of the 18 per cent of solicitors over 50,” she said. “No matter what people say, ageism counts. I was at a legal conference where I was told it was hard enough to place women in their 40s. I think it’s important to come to these conferences and network and keep in touch, but I actually think I’m being forced into retirement.”

Mary is in her 30s and is in a firm, but does not know how long that will continue. Her husband (40), a conveyancing solicitor, has lost his job and has failed in successive attempts to find a new one.

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She is particularly angry with the public service, where he has sought work, as the rejection letter was sent out the day of his interview.

“It’s all over, it really is. There are people here in their 50s who will never work again. We have mortgages, I’ll probably never have children now.

“Lots of people have been made redundant. The whole recession has hit white-collar workers hard. Some people have gone abroad, but a lot are too old to emigrate.”

Pat is a sole practitioner from Waterford who considers that policy changes over the past 30 years have led to the down-grading of the solicitors’ profession, adding to the current crisis.

“Estate agency has gone to the auctioneers. In Glasgow 70 per cent of estate agents are solicitors.

“Company law is gone to accountants. Anyone can certify – guards, accountants, even the parish priest, although solicitors are officers of the court. A lot of the problems in society have been caused by the dilution of the solicitor’s function in society.”

However, there may be changes on the horizon, Pat adds.

“The insurance crisis in the profession might bring about a sea-change. Solicitors . . . had credibility difficulties in the last 10 years or so, but look to the heroes in the world. Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer. So was Nelson Mandela and Wolfe Tone. We deserve better than what we have.”