Legal aid

[lonedad]

Why do some solicitors not do legal aid?

Will the advocate I get be a lesser quality advocate than if I paid?

Thanks

(still dead nervous and gutted).

[Barmaid]

If your solicitor's book counsel (ie a barrister) it matters not whether they are being paid legal aid or are privately paid. The barrister will do as good a job either way.

Some solicitors don't do legal aid by choice (the system is an absolute b@st@ard and payments never seem to be made promptly to solicitors) others don't do it because they have not yet applied for a legal aid contract (you have to be registered to do publicly funded work).

[lonedad]

As ever, thank you barmaid. The thing is, I got a letter from the court saying that I have been granted legal aid. It says "I can have a junior advocate".

May I ask, how are you so knowledgable about such things?

[Barmaid]

Anyone who has not become a QC is a "junior".

The reason I know a bit (although I don't really practice crime anymore) is that I am a barrister.

[Barmaid]

And unfortunately, I have just noticed a stray apostrophe in my first post!!!