Transparency

Fees

Barristers in chambers act in privately and publicly funded and cases. In private cases, Chambers operates a flexible and transparent fee policy.

Advisory work is generally charged on a time basis by reference to an agreed hourly rate.

Fees for hearing are usually calculated on the basis of a brief fee and, if required, refreshers. A brief fee is a fixed fee which covers preparation for the hearing and attendance at the first day of the hearing. A refresher is a fixed fee for each subsequent day of the hearing.

When assessing the appropriate level of fees, we take into consideration the complexity of the case and the volume of documentation along with the skill and specialised knowledge of the barrister involved.

For hearings it is usual practice to agree a date by which the brief is delivered. This means that the fee will be due on a date before the hearing, to take into account the time set aside in barrister’s diary and preparation the barrister will need to undertake to be ready for the hearing.

The clerks will be happy to provide broad fee estimates upon request however the more information provided about a case the easier it is to provide an accurate estimate. In circumstances where the instructions are available, we can estimate and agree fees before any chargeable work is undertaken. However, given the individual circumstances which surround cases in which we are asked to advise and represent clients upon, it is not practical to give exact total costs for all services. We reserve the right to revise any estimate in light of additional information becoming available.

In some cases, alternative fee arrangements may be agreed however Chambers is unable to accept cases on a conditional fee basis.

In almost all cases, any fee estimate/quote provided will be subject to VAT.

We invite you to contact our clerks to discuss further.

Timescales

Factors which might influence the timescale of the provision of legal services include:

The type and complexity of the matter
the availability of the barrister and any relevant third parties
the volume of documentation to review
the need for additional information or documents
court waiting times
the urgency of the matter

Our barristers aim to turn advisory work around within 28 working days. Should a barrister be unable to meet an agreed deadline, the client will be notified in good time in advance and if necessary and agreed, the work will be allocated to another available and suitably experienced barrister so as to ensure that the client’s deadline is met.

Public Access

Some of our barristers can now be instructed directly by clients, rather than via a solicitor. The scheme is especially useful where funding issues arise as we recognise that many individuals cannot afford to instruct both barristers and solicitors. All barristers at 1 Hare Court are specialist family lawyers and specialist advocates and both advisory work and in-court representation are available under the scheme.

Qualification and practice as a public-access barrister is overseen by the Bar Standards Board.

Before considering if your case may be suitable for public access we recommend you to read the Bar Standards Board’s guidance which can be found here.

Our charges can be based either upon a fixed fee, an hourly rate, or a combination of the two depending upon your individual circumstances. It is not possible to provide a fixed price for each element of a case without knowing the particulars of each stage of the proceedings. As a guide our Barristers charge an hourly rate ranging between £150 per hour and £750 per hour (plus VAT where applicable) and set fees can be agreed based on the preparation and court time for each specific piece of work.

Please contact our clerks for a preliminary discussion about your needs and whether they can be met by a public access arrangement.

Complaints

Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website here. This shows:

(1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and

(2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy. Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 or e-mail ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk to ask about this.

Members of Chambers, their clerks and other support staff pride themselves on providing a first class service to lay clients and solicitors. However, we recognise that issues can arise which lay clients or solicitors may wish to raise as complaints or concerns. We operate a clear procedure and aim to deal with complaints or concerns efficiently.

Any client or solicitor who wishes to raise a complaint may do so directly with the barrister concerned, the Senior Clerk (Steve McCrone) or the Head of Chambers. Complaints are monitored by a senior QC to ensure they are dealt with efficiently.

If you are unhappy with the outcome that you have received, you may take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. Full details of how to proceed can be found on the website here. You can find decision data here.

Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
T: 0300 555 0333
E: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

You must complain to the Legal Ombudsman either within six years of your barrister’s actions/failure to act, or no later than three years after you should reasonably have known there were grounds to complain.

You must also complain to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving your barrister’s final response to your complaint.

If further information about our procedure is required, please contact Steve McCrone or Sarah Hardwicke (Chambers Administrator).

Chambers is regulated by the Bar Standards Board.