I finally had enough. I've been with my firm for about 6 years, and qualified as a Solicitor for two. The legal aid situation in the UK is dire, and we've just been earning less and less every year. My supervisor hasn't had a pay rise in 10 years. I earn £25,000 a year, but with the constant work on weekends and evenings it works out to a smidge over minimum wage. My colleagues are leaving in droves, we just can't take it any more. Several have had breakdowns from the stress, I've been in tears and having panic attacks which I never had before. I'm gutted for our clients as things will just get worse and worse for them as there are less and less lawyers. The government don't care if legal aid crashes and burns as they'll always have the money to pay for a private lawyer, it's only the poor who will suffer. It's incredibly sad, but I have to protect myself first.