What is Direct Access?
Direct access (or Public Access) enables members of the public to instruct a barrister directly, rather than being referred by a solicitor first and having the solicitor liaise with the barrister on your behalf.
The barrister’s role remains the same, meaning that they are qualified to:
- Provide you with expert legal advice about the merits and potential outcomes of your case.
- Assist you with drafting correspondence.
- Help to draft statements from litigants and witnesses.
- Draft formal court documents.
- Advise you on suitable experts and draft instructions to expert witnesses.
- Offer you advice on the next steps to be taken in proceedings.
- Assist you in trying to resolve your case and represent you in court.
Most barristers who offer Direct Access do not offer to and are not permitted to conduct litigation. That means that the responsibility for the day-to-day management of your case will remain with you. A Direct Access barrister will be able to advise you as to the procedure required, for example, what steps you need to take, what forms you need to fill in, what documents you need to collate and when and how to communicate with the court or the other party.
As long as you are confident you can deal with these types of issues yourself, choosing a Direct Access Barrister might be a good option for you. The Direct Access Barrister’s focus will be on advising on the law and providing you with specialist advocacy at court. You will be able to reduce your costs whilst increasing your personal control of the case. You will be in control of the cost of your case as our barristers only work on fixed fees, paid in advance.
Our dedicated team of family law barristers are readily available to assist with your legal queries and cases. You can see our Direct Access team below.
Further guidance on the direct access scheme can be found on the Bar Standards Board website.
How we calculate costs for direct access work
Coram Chambers are specialist family law barristers and our Direct Access team are qualified to undertake many aspects of family court work, such as divorce, financial disputes post-divorce, all children-related matters, including custody disputes. The fee you will pay will depend on the seniority of the barrister for your case. The appropriate barrister will be tailored to the needs of your case.
At Coram Chambers, we are committed to ensuring our fees are flexible and transparent. However, the prices quoted will depend on a variety of factors including the type of hearing, the type of work and also the amount of paperwork involved. You will need to provide us with as much information about the issues in your case and the work required. We offer a free initial 15-minute telephone consultation with your chosen barrister, after which a fixed fee will be quoted. The fixed fee quoted is usually based on an hourly rate of the preparation time and the hearing and/or other work required. Fees will include VAT, and the VAT element will be clearly shown in the client care letter. Fees must be agreed in advance and paid before a Direct Access Barrister will undertake any work. Further information about our fees can be found below in the Fees section.
Regulatory and complaints information
Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website.
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 to ask about this (or e-mail ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk).
Please see the Complaints section of our main website for details of:
- Our complaints procedure;
- Any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) – the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response;
- How to complain to LeO; and
- Any time limits for making a complaint.
You can also search the decision data on LeO’s website.
This shows providers that received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months and whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy.
Alternatively, you can contact LeO on 0300 555 0333 to ask about this (or e-mail enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk).
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 020 7092 3700
Team Members
Mark Twomey KC
Shiva Ancliffe KC
Michael Horton KC
Catherine Nicholes
Nicholas O’Brien
Gill Honeyman
Georgia Mitropoulos
John Paul Cregan
Neil Fry
Sima Kothari
Alison Easton
William Metaxa
Christopher Archer
Richard Beddoe
Richard O’Sullivan
Anne-Marie Glover
Sarah Branson
Tosin Oguntayo
Helen Harper
Mary-Jane Taylor
Sophie Hill
James Schofield
Hala Mustafa
Anna Walsh
Anarkali Musgrave
Ella Shaw
Sarah Haworth
Georgina Rushworth
Ramanjit Kang
Eleanor Bruce
Melissa Harrison
Sarah Tyler
Victoria Roberts
Matthew Shaw
Dr Bianca Jackson
Adrian Barnett-Thoung-Holland
Hannah Gomersall
Alexander Laing
Katherine Duncan
Sophie Kay
Hannah Whitehouse
Fees
The cost of instructing a barrister will depend on a number of different factors, including the complexity of the case, the seniority of the barrister you have chosen to instruct, the volume of paperwork involved, timescales, the history of the matter and the other sides approach, the amount of work involved in preparation for the hearing, and the estimated duration of the hearing.
We will always be transparent and upfront about costs. Once we have seen all the relevant papers and have reached a full understanding of the nature of your case and the service you require, we will set out in writing the proposed charges. We will give you a clear written quote specifying the work the barrister will do before undertaking the work. All fees are subject to VAT and are payable in advance. If following the initial work further legal assistance is required, the work and the fee will be agreed with you in advance and confirmed in writing.
The table below provides a range of fixed fees, where the parties have joint assets which are worth less than £300,000.
| Initial Conference and Preparation | £1250 – £2000 |
| Written advice on your financial dispute | £1500 – £2500 |
| Additional conferences if required | £1500 – £2000 |
| First appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information) | £2000 – £2500 Brief Fee
|
| Financial dispute resolution appointment (second court hearing to reach a financial settlement) | £2500- £4000 Brief Fee |
| First day of final hearing (if settlement was not reached in the financial dispute resolution appointment) | £4000 – £5000 Brief Fee |
Please note: Court hearing fees may require an uplift with reference to expenses, dependent on court location, travel time and costs.
Estimated fees are correct as of 1 June 2020, and prices displayed exclude VAT (where applicable). For a quotation please contact one of the clerks (clerks@coramchambers.co.uk).
Our clerking team will also be able to assist with a quotation if you and your former partner have joint assets more than £350,000.