Overview
The Public Access Scheme was set up in 2004 to allow members of the public to work directly with barristers without the need to go through a solicitor. The aim was to help clients save on legal costs by giving them direct access to barristers, avoiding the need to pay a separate set of fees to a solicitor.
Instructing a barrister through the Public Access Scheme can, in some circumstances, result in savings on the cost of the preparation of your case and its passage through court without compromising the standard of service you receive.
A direct access barrister can:
- Provide legal advice and opinions
- Represent you in court hearings
- Negotiate an out-of-court settlement
- Represent you during mediation or arbitration
- Draft legal documents
- Assist you with drafting letters and any other documents required during your case
- Advise on calling expert witnesses
Our experienced direct access barristers can advise you at every stage and represent you at all hearings up to and including trial and appeal if required. This means that our experienced expert practitioners will look after every aspect of your case from beginning to end.
Our barristers can work with you face-to-face, over the phone, by email and through software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams for your convenience.
If you would like to discuss instructing one of our qualified direct access barristers directly or find out if the Public Access Scheme is appropriate for your case, please contact our clerks who will advise you on the scheme and will recommend a barrister to you. Further information about the scheme can be obtained from the Bar Standards Board and is available here.
What to expect
Our barristers can represent you in court or tribunal, help you to prepare documents and statements for use in legal proceedings; and give you expert legal advice on your position.
When you instruct one of our barristers, the work to be carried out will be agreed in advance. We normally agree a fixed fee for the work so that you can control your expenses. Occasionally, we will agree an hourly rate with an estimate for the number of hours’ work required. We require payment in advance for all public access work. The agreed work and costs will be set out in a letter at the outset. If subsequent work is needed on your case, a new agreement will be set out in writing.
If one of our barristers considers that you also need a solicitor, they will advise you of that.
Once we have agreed which barrister you are using, we provide you with their direct contact details. They will respond to you as soon as they can but please note that our barristers are frequently in court, and that can sometimes mean that they are unavailable to other clients for a day or several days in a row. If you are not able to contact your barrister directly, you are welcome to leave a message with our clerks. We will do our best to ensure that you have the same barrister at all your court hearings where possible.
We are obliged to provide information about timescales in certain types of work including for financial disputes in divorce and inheritance cases.
For financial disputes in divorce, timescales for your case may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of your assets, whether you have children, how much you have already agreed with your former partner, and their approach.
Written advice on your financial dispute will be available within two to four weeks where possible. As a guide, court hearings for a financial order tend to take six to twelve months. This does not include possible appeals.
In respect of inheritance cases, timescales for your written advice may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of the deceased person’s estate, your financial needs and those of any beneficiary of the estate. However, claims under the Act must be made within six months of the grant of probate, so as a guide your written advice will be available within two to four weeks where possible.
Our public access barristers
Many members of chambers offer public access services across our practice areas. Our clerks can help you to identify the right barrister for your case.
To find a barrister for your case, or to find out more information, you can contact our clerks by calling 020 79362613 (open Monday-Friday 8.30am to 6.00pm) or by emailing clerks@2drj.com.
