Instructing us

Services

Our barristers are able to provide you with the following legal services within their areas of expertise:

• Written and oral advocacy
• Written and oral advice
• Drafting of documents for use in litigation and non-contentious matters
• Negotiation of settlement
• Drafting of agreements.

We are able to accept instructions from solicitors and other authorised litigators, legal departments and in-house lawyers. We are also often instructed by lawyers from other jurisdictions.

Licensed professionals can instruct barristers under the Licensed Access scheme, and individuals and members of the public may use the Direct Access scheme.

We adhere to the “cab rank rule”, which imposes upon barristers the obligation to accept instructions from anyone who, through an appropriate instruction, wishes to engage their services in an area of law in which they practise.

We will not accept an instruction that is in breach of the Bar Standards Board’s Equality & Diversity Code.

Terms of work

We generally work under The Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2012, a copy of which can be found here.

However, we appreciate that these may not be appropriate to all our clients. As such, we welcome the opportunity to enter into bespoke terms, usually based on the COMBAR terms, as we have already in place with many of our clients. Please do not hesitate to contact the Senior Clerk, Tony Hill, should this be of interest to you.

When instructed by professional clients, we do so on the understanding that instructions are accepted on the terms found here.

Pricing

We pride ourselves on our realistic, transparent and flexible pricing policy.

The market rate for privately funded work undertaken by our junior barristers generally ranges from £100 to £350 per hour, depending on the level of experience and expertise appropriate to the case. Leading counsel’s rates usually start from £350 per hour.

However, it is our experience that clients often prefer certainty in respect of counsel’s fees and an hourly rate may not be appropriate. We are always happy to provide a quote for a fixed fee for any item of work upon request. Naturally, there would be no charge until the fee is agreed.

We frequently act under conditional fee agreements and adopt a collaborative approach in this regard. We accept instructions under conditional fee agreements in personal injury, clinical negligence, commercial, property and chancery-related cases. Each case is assessed individually and if the barrister does not wish to enter into the agreement they will take the time to discuss the matter with you or, alternatively, provide a short note explaining their decision.

We always look to offer best value to our clients and welcome the opportunity to work to service level agreements and prescribed fee protocols

Timescale

Upon receipt of instructions, we shall seek to agree a timescale for the work with you. This may depend on the nature and complexity of the work required, the volume of documentation, the need for additional documents, the other side’s approach and barrister’s other commitments.