Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Firm’s legal aid earnings drop slightly to £1.2m
A Monklands-based law firm has defied the chaos caused by Covid to maintain its position as one of Scotland’s busiest court teams.
Bruce Mccormack, which has offices in Airdrie, Motherwell and Glasgow, was the fourth highest legal aid earner in Scotland in 2020-21 – and second highest among criminal court specialists.
The firm, set up around 20 years ago, has featured regularly in the annual table published by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB).
The pandemic has led to court business being slashed at times over the last two years and legal aid payments have fallen as a result.
Bruce Mccormack’s earnings dropped from £1,436,000 in 2019-21 to £1,222,000 in 2020-21.
Director Diarmid Bruce said:“criminal legal aid expenditure reduced dramatically, as did the income of most criminal legal aid firms.
“Criminal court solicitors have had to‘box on’in a very difficult and challenging environment.
“However, our firm never furloughed any solicitors during the crisis.”
Scotland’s annual legal aid bill fell from £130.9m to £99.1m year on year.
SLAB chief executive Colin Lancaster said:“the justice system has been hit hard by the impact of Covid-19.
“But the legal profession has continued to deliver frontline services throughout periods of heightened public health restrictions.
“This has ensured the justice system continued to operate and those in need have had the chance to receive the help the legal aid system is there to provide them with.”