England: Solicitors rack up hours of ‘involuntary’ pro bono rather than drop clients unable to pay

Solicitors are accruing hours of “involuntary” free work for clients unable to pay their fees, it has emerged.

The Law Society is to undertake a survey to determine how many in the profession are doing unrecorded pro bono work for clients in dire straits.

Anecdotal evidence suggests many firms are routinely putting the hours in rather than dropping clients.

Forced pro bono has increased dramatically since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force and reduced eligibility for state funding considerably.

The Law Society also published a pro bono charter and manual.

President Robert Bourns said: “Pro bono must never be viewed as a substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.

“The Law Society will continue to underscore the importance of appropriate levels of investment in the justice system, which is a key public service like the NHS and education, in order to protect access to justice for all. To this end we also promote public legal education, a regulatory objective.”