Hands off our profession

I am somewhat alarmed to read about the increasing interest of accountants in the legal profession. It is a worrying trend and one on which the legal profession must take a stand.

Multidisciplinary practices are not even allowed and yet we see the major firms of accountants preparing to go down this route.

It means that law firms are going to have to seriously review their relationships with accountancy firms.

How can the traditional referral relationship be sustained if our accountants now become our competitors?

For those who doubt that this will happen, simply cast an eye on the continent where the accountancy firms have established nice businesses out of their legal arms.

The Law Society must take action to ensure that this does not happen here.

Accountancy firms try to dip their fingers in every pie. But are they equipped to take on the legal profession?

There is no doubt that they will try.

There is also no doubt that the legal profession should be fighting the very idea with all its might.

Name and address withheld.