A two-partner member of the QualitySolicitors network has blamed its closure on the Jackson reforms and the ‘spectre’ of reduced fees for personal injury claims.

QualitySolicitors Carters, which carried out personal injury and clinical negligence work, ceased trading at the end of February. The 10-year-old Peterborough firm had been a member of marketing and branding network QS for two years.

Carters sold its caseload to Yorkshire firm Neil Hudgell for an undisclosed sum and the two partners are working elsewhere. Rob Carter has moved to local firm Taylor Rose, where he is senior partner. Paul Halifax, now freelance, told the Gazette: ‘We only did personal injury law, and with the spectre of reduced fees on the horizon, we had to take a decision about whether we could continue to be ­profitable.

‘With the Jackson reforms bringing in fixed fees we concluded that we would not be able to maintain a profitable business to keep the two of us. Plenty of other firms are in the same boat,’ he said.

Halifax said the decision was in no way attributable to the marketing services provided by QS. ‘QS did what we expected it to do and did a good job. It was not down to any failure on its part that we took the decision to close the firm.’

Commenting on the firm’s closure, QS chief executive Craig Holt said: ‘It is unsurprising, but a sad indictment of the realities of the misguided Jackson and wider reforms, that a small, specialist PI practice should decide to take advantage of an offer to "sell up", in anticipation of the likely impact of these changes.’