There are two branches to the English legal profession and their roles are quite distinct. A solicitor conducts litigation. He or she will write letters, interview witnesses, collect and collate evidence, issue proceedings, instruct experts and handle client money. By contrast, the barrister will direct operations: advise on law and tactics, produce written opinions, draft formal documents for service by the client or by a solicitor and appear in court.
A barrister is a problem-solver. He or she will be analytical, sorting good points from bad ones at an early stage of a dispute. This enables the client to get a decent grasp of the important points with their case. With experience, a barrister will have developed a feel for what a Judge is likely to think and say about a particular argument. This assists the barrister to give objective, independent and practical advice. A good barrister will guard against pursuing any course of action without a careful assessment of risks including costs.
If I am unavailable (because I am already booked for a court hearing) or if there is a conflict of interest (because I know one of the parties in the case), I will refer you to another public access barrister or to a solicitor. If at any stage I feel that it would be in your best interests or the interests of justice for you to instruct a solicitor, I cannot act for you. My clerks will refer you to a suitable solicitor, and if you wish, the solicitor can then instruct me.
I pride myself on providing an efficient service – normally two weeks for paperwork, unless it’s urgent or especially long or complicated. You can contact me by telephone (via my clerks on 02380 320320); if I am in court or out of the office I will normally return your call within 24 hours. I prefer to work by email and will not charge you for a long advice where a short paragraph will do just as well. My advice will be clear and practical - not full of legal jargon.
When we need to meet (have a Conference) this can be at my Chambers in Southampton, or at another convenient venue. I reside in London and carry out a lot of work in and around the capital as well as the neighbouring counties.
I do not undertake criminal, family or immigration work. I am unable to take legal aid work or no-win-no-fee work under the public access rules.
It will usually be cheaper to instruct a barrister directly than to use a solicitor of equivalent experience. This is because under public access, you will carry out much of the routine work yourself, rather than paying a solicitor (or their assistant) to do it for you. If at any stage I think it is in your best interests to instruct a solicitor for part of the work (e.g. because it would be more cost effective) I will tell you so – this is my professional duty.
I will quote a fixed fee for paperwork, conferences and court hearings rather than charging by the minute. Usually, my clerks will arrange my fees with you. In each case, the fee will depend on the amount of preparation required, the value of any claim, whether it is urgent and how complicated the matter is. However, please remember - under the public access scheme you only pay for the barrister, not the solicitor as well.
I will always ask you to check whether you can get funding for legal costs from anywhere else.
