I read in the Gazette (news, 8 September, 4) that four high street banks have agreed to help law firms that are experiencing cashflow difficulties resulting from ongoing delays in payment from the Legal Services Commission.

As a partner in a niche family law practice in Wiltshire, I believe things could be eased greatly for legal aid practitioners if changes were made to the way we were paid.

If a standard payment of one-tenth of the previous year's total payments were paid to legal aid practices on a monthly basis, this would negate the need for us to be continually going cap in hand to our extremely helpful business manager at Lloyds TSB. It would cover the running costs of the practice and take away the sense of impending doom that has prevailed at our office over the past few months.

Claims that we send in could then be set against the monies we have received.

Rosaleen Beashel, Beashel Graham Solicitors, Warminster