Ian Smart, President of the Society, has taken a sharp swipe at the Britannia building society's decision to remove sole practitioners from its panel, a move which affects over 200 firms in Scotland.

“I have written to the chairman of Co operative Financial Services, as owners of Britannia, to raise our concerns on behalf of our members," he said.

"This will undoubtedly lead to people not being able to go to their solicitor of choice. In Stranraer, for example, three of the six solicitors’ firms are operated by sole practitioners meaning that Britannia’s decision has cut client choice by 50 percent there and it will be the same story across the country.” 

“It is crucial that legal services to the public are not restricted and people are not penalised simply because of where they choose to live.The property market has undergone the biggest slump in decades and by striking solicitors from their panels, the banks are creating further restrictions in an already depressed market."

“This is not simply about solicitors losing business, but the whole issue of access to justice and legal advice. Clients should be able to choose a solicitor, whether a sole practitioner or part of a larger firm, to act on their behalf when buying or selling a property. These actions by the lenders could create real difficulties for many clients, and particularly those who live in rural areas or small towns and expect their local solicitor to be able to provide the legal advice they are looking for.”