Direct Access Barristers

You can now go straight to your own Barrister for pre-hearing advice, help preparing your case, and representation in court.

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This is called Direct Access and means you don’t have to go to a solicitor first if you want to use a Barrister. 

Advantages of going straight to a Barrister

Lower costs

You can reasonably expect to save money if you go straight to a Barrister because you’ll only be paying for one lawyer (as opposed to paying for a Barrister and a Solicitor).

 

Barristers also have lower overheads than Solicitors, so they can be more cost-effective, added to which relying on one lawyer from beginning to end avoids duplicating costs.

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Our Barristers will also work for a fixed fee, agreed in advance, so your costs won't increase by the hour. 

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Speed and convenience

Going straight to a Barrister tends to be quicker than going through a Solicitor because you deal directly with one lawyer throughout your case.

 

If you use a Solicitor, he or she may in any event ask a Barrister to represent you in court - which often means you won't get to speak with the lawyer who's actually going to argue your case until the day of the hearing.

 

Legal aid
However, there may be times when you'd do better to instruct a Solicitor, not least if you qualify for legal aid. This is something we can discuss during your initial free advice.

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Legal aid can help pay for legal advice, family mediation or representation in court or at a tribunal. For more information click HERE.