The simple answer is No. The government is trying to cut back on public spending over a range of sectors, and one is the Legal Aid budget. Criminal legal aid in particular has come under fire. Despite the fact that the vast bulk of spending in this area can be attributed to a very small minority of cases, and lawyers, (usually fraud cases involving enormous paperwork) there have been sweeping spending cuts across the board. What this often means is that those who were already less well paid suffer most.

Lawyers aren’t the most popular of public figures so their cause will never attract the kind of popular support of, say, nurses or teachers. But if we are to have a working justice system for the poor and middle income as well as for the rich, we need a thriving legal aid system. This is not to say the current system should not be subjected to scrutiny and reform where appropriate, but certainly those working within it should be able to earn a decent living. If money is not your top priority, working within the current system can still offer an interesting and sometimes rewarding job and a moderate living, but if you’re looking for big bucks, look elsewhere.