FAQs
Are all barristers equally expert?
Being a barrister is a matter of learning and knowledge, and appearing in court a matter of technique, character and experience. While no two individuals will perform identically, all barristers can be expected to conform to the prevailing standards of their profession, and Access2Barristers Direct matches every client with a barrister with particular expertise of the area of law in question. At the top end of the profession, there are senior barristers and QCs (Queen’s Counsel or ‘Silks’), whose all round expertise may be considered to be the very best available. However it will only normally be necessary to consult such barristers in cases of exceptional significance or complexity.
How much does your service cost?
The cost of a written legal opinion will depend on the individual barrister, but will always be a fixed charge of which you will be advised before committing. If, after receiving the opinion, you require the barrister to represent you before a court, a further fixed fee from the barrister will be quoted to you for this work. If you require Access2Barristers Direct to support the barrister by handling admin and paperwork involved in dealing with the court for you, you will also be quoted a fixed fee for this. Ultimately, whatever action you take, you will always be saving the full cost of involving a solicitor.
If the barrister advises me to take action, will I then need a solicitor?
No. Access2Barristers Direct will carry out all legal admin and paperwork required in order to act on the barrister’s opinion. We charge for doing this, but the cost will always be significantly lower than that which would be incurred by involving a solicitor.
Can I choose the barrister I go to through you?
A large part of our expertise at Access2Barristers Direct is in identifying and securing the services of a barrister ideally suited to provide the advice you need. We are able to do this by virtue of our extensive research of the profession. We will normally recommend the barrister we believe to be best suited to your needs. If, for any reason, he or she is unacceptable to you, we will recommend a comparably qualified alternative.
Do all barristers work directly with the public?
No. Since 2004, all barristers have enjoyed the right to work directly, but some continue to work only through solicitors. These will frequently be specialists in very particular niches.
Aren’t barristers just people who appear in court?
No. While a barrister has rights of audience to appear in court, much of their work involves simply providing expert clarification and opinion on legal issues, so that individuals or companies may decide how to act.
What do people mean when they talk about ‘Counsel’?
Barristers are also referred to as Counsel or Advocates and they have rights of audience in all Courts from the County Courts, Crown Courts up to the Highest Court in the land, The Supreme Court, formerly the House of Lords.
What’s the difference between a Solicitor and a Barrister?
Solicitors are qualified legal professionals who undertake an administrative function amongst other things; the giving of advice, the preparation of legal documents, the negotiation of legal matters and the preparation of Court documentation. Solicitors have specialist areas of practice but equally can be what is termed as general practitioners, and are permitted to advise and act in any area of the law that they consider themselves competent to practice. They have rights of audience in a court of law but are generally confined to the lower courts; the County Courts and Magistrates Courts.
Barristers are also qualified legal professionals, but they usually specialise in a specific area of law or several areas of law. They work collectively from an umbrella ‘Chambers’ and rarely come into general contact with the public in the sense that they will normally only meet a client when the need to give advice face to face arises or they need to assess their client before representing them before a Court.
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If you need advice, use our contact form to get in touch. Or call us on 0800 955 0956. Your call won’t place you under any obligation to use us, but we will normally be able to advise you immediately on whether the outline details of your situation are suitable for one of our barristers.