Instructing us

Instructing us

Our clerks should be the first point of contact for anyone wishing to instruct a member of chambers. They will be able to advise on availability, suitability, diary commitments and where necessary will give an indication of fees.

Chambers is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6.30pm, during Legal Term time. In vacation the opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 6.30pm and 8.30am to 6.00pm on Fridays. Outside those hours calls are dealt with by our answering service, or in case of emergency you can contact John Stannard on 07595 676697, or Edith Robertson on 07775 871557.

In addition to solicitors (in independent practice and in-house) we welcome instructions from surveyors and other professionals by licensed access. We do not accept instructions from members of the public direct, because we think that we can provide a better service working with an instructing solicitor, surveyor or other licensed access professional.

Any solicitor or other professional is welcome to contact our clerks for a quotation for our services. Fee quotes are based on a number of factors, including the barrister’s hourly rate, the nature of the work required, and the time required to complete the work.  Timescales for completion of work will depend on the barrister's availability which is dependent upon the barrister’s current professional commitments. If you have a budget in mind please discuss this with the clerks at the earliest opportunity as that will assist them to find the most appropriate barrister for you. The most commonly used pricing models for advisory work are hourly rates, capped fees, or fixed fees. For hearings, we usually agree a fixed brief fee and, if appropriate, daily refreshers. All fees will subject to VAT, where chargeable.

We strive to give down-to-earth, straightforward, commercially astute legal advice to all our clients. We pride ourselves on having the ability to give realistic guidance based on the commercial imperatives of each case. Members of chambers, the clerks and members of staff are aware of the importance of consistently providing the best possible service to our clients.

In the modern legal environment, speed of response is critically important. We have invested heavily in IT, which includes an extensive library with on-line research facilities, a fully integrated resilient network and high speed internet access. Dedicated conference rooms with facilities for video conferences enable efficient use of time and resources. The sort of factors that might influence how long it takes us to deal with instructions are:

• The availability of the barrister, client and any expert or other third party involved
• The complexity of the case and the amount of documentation that needs to be considered
• The need for additional information or documents
• The approach taken by the other side
• Third parties intervening in the case
• Court waiting times

Chambers has a Complaints Procedure which is available to both lay and professional clients. Details of the procedure can be obtained from the Chambers Director.

Here is a link to the Barristers’ Register maintained by the Bar Standards Board. The Register shows (1) who has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Barristers’ Register in accordance with Board’s policy.