Direct Access
Several of our members are approved by the Bar Council to accept instructions directly from the public without the intervention of a solicitor.
If you need legal advice, representation in court, or if you want to know the options for avoiding litigation altogether, one of our barristers may be able to help you.
The bar's public access scheme allows you to go straight to a barrister without having to instruct a solicitor as well. This can save a substantial amount of money, as you only have to instruct one lawyer, and you can concentrate your financial resources on those parts of your case that need expert assistance. Barristers' fees tend to be significantly lower than solicitors' as we do not have the same overheads as solicitors.
Under the scheme, barristers continue to provide the same legal services as they do when instructed by a solicitor: advising on the law; drafting legal documents for use in litigation, and appearing in court. Barristers cannot conduct litigation for you (for example by writing letters to the other side on your behalf, or issuing court documents) nor can barristers act as your agent. If you need a solicitor to help you with some or all of your case, we will tell you. This also means that you will minimize the amount you have to spend on solicitors. We can recommend a solicitor with the necessary expertise in these circumstances.
If you would like to know more about instructing a barrister using the public access scheme please contact our clerks for more details.
http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/guidance/ThePublicAccessSchemeGuidanceforLayClients/