The Law Society says Christchurch lawyers are struggling with huge income and job losses since the Christchurch earthquakes.
The society says 16 local law firms have been forced to make staff redundant since the February quake.
The Law Society says most of the city's law firms have been locked out of their quake-damaged offices since February, and business has slowed to a crawl.
President Allister Davis says more than half of the society's Canterbury members have reported income losses of up to 50%.
Mr Davis says criminal lawyers are the most affected, because quake-damage has slowed the court process, and lawyers are incurring extra travel costs to move between temporary court locations in North Canterbury and Timaru.
He also says hundreds of one-off law files, and some exhibits, are stuck in damaged buildings and may never be retrieved.
The society says some lawyers are trying to secure secondments in the insurance industry in the meantime.
