Legal Services Direct to the Public
This page of our website is dedicated to members of the public. We are here to help you and we would like the opportunity to help you. Having to use a Lawyer can be a daunting prospect for anyone but we aim to make your experience as stress-free as possible. We hope that you will find the following information helpful and that you will see the enormous benefits by going directly to a barrister rather than to a solicitor. If you are unsure about anything, you are welcome to ring our Senior Clerk, Russell Burton, on 01732 746601 and explain your problem to him. Russell is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice, but he will be able to tell you whether it is a matter we can help you with and provide you with an idea of costs.
If you have water pouring from a burst pipe who do you call? A plumber.
If you have toothache who do you call? A dentist.
If you have a legal problem who do you call? A BARRISTER! You were going to say solicitor weren’t you?
Times have moved on. Opinions and procedures have changed, and information has become readily accessible to whoever seeks it – the internet explosion is an obvious example. The legal profession has also changed and is more accessible to whoever requires its services.
Previously, if I had a legal problem, for example, my neighbour had built a shed which extended into my garden, and if my protests to my neighbour had fallen on deaf ears, I would contact a local solicitor and seek recourse by legal means. The local (probably general practice) solicitor might not specialise in land law and would instead instruct a barrister specializing in that area of law to advise on the legal action I need to take to have the shed removed from my garden.
Well, now, there is no need for me to go a solicitor in order to get expert advice from a barrister. I can go direct to a barrister. This direct route is called public access and means you can go direct to a barrister without having to go to a solicitor. You now have a choice.
But won’t a barrister cost more than a solicitor?
Generally speaking absolutely not - quite the opposite in fact.
Well I never knew that. How come?
Simple, barristers practice very differently to solicitor firms and as a result their overheads are considerably less.
Ok, so if I go direct to a barrister, what's in it for me?
Quite simply, you will:
- Receive expert advice from the outset
- Pay only one lawyer’s fees
- Pay less overall
Sounds great but I would like to know more of the details, what do I do next?
See the public access pages – introduction, how do I instruct a public access barrister, FAQs
or Contact Us