Direct access to barristers

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Legal clients 'can save money and get better service' by using the Bar directly. This was one of the main messages arising from an "access to the Bar" day organised by the Bar Council alongside the publication of a new study of the benefits of direct access to the Bar by Professor John Flood and Avis Whyte from the School of Law at Westminster University. Entitled Straight there, no detours: direct access to barristers the study reveals that 89% of existing users interviewed as part of the research agreed that instructing a barrister directly provided better value for money than going through a solicitor.

There are three ways to instruct barristers:

1. Professional Client Access

Solicitors, qualified in-house lawyers and other authorised litigators may instruct barristers directly either on behalf of clients or on their own account in any matter for all types of work. Please contact any of our senior team leaders for further details.

2. Licensed Access

Licensed access is a licensing system whereby organisations or individuals who are suitable to instruct barristers because they have expertise in particular areas of the law can apply to the Bar Council to be licensed to instruct barristers directly in those areas. The licence can cover advice or representation or both and permit licensees to instruct barristers either on their own affairs or on behalf of their clients. Guidance for lay clients on how to instruct a barrister is available in Licensed Access Guidance - Handbook for Clients.

3. Public Access

Members of the public, and commercial and non-commercial organisations are now able to instruct barristers directly on most civil matters.

How does public access work?

Since 2004, members of the public have been able to come direct to barristers for legal advice and representation without having to go through a solicitor or another intermediary professional first. This is called Public Access.

Nothing has changed in terms of the work barristers can do for you. However, under the public access scheme you can take responsibility for the preliminary work normally done by a solicitor or other professional, in order to engage and deal directly with your barrister.

Not every matter is suitable for public access work because there are some things that barristers are not allowed to do. However, Outer Temple Chambers probably undertakes more public access cases than any other chambers and is very experienced at providing assistance to a wide range of clients.

Public Access can benefit you in a number of ways:

you have the opportunity to go direct to the specialist of your choice
communications can be speeded up because you and your barrister can liaise directly
you will save money because you are not paying for a solicitor

If you have a legal matter that needs attention and that may be suitable for us to advise on under the Public Access scheme you can email us with the details on publicaccess@outertemple.com or telephone the relevant Senior Team Leader for the relevant area of law on 020 7583 2997. We will be pleased to help you understand the process and assess whether this is the right route for you.

Licensed Access allows companies, firms and other organisations to instruct a barrister directly. This requires approval through the Bar Council. We will provide assistance wherever possible to support a licensed access application.

Services we can offer

Our aim is to provide a personal, accessible and professional service where we provide you with support and guidance in addition to specialist advice and representation in courts, tribunals’ arbitrations and any other hearings where you are allowed to be represented by someone else.

Our barristers can:

provide you with expert legal advice
draft documents such as contracts and standard terms of business
help you to draft correspondence
help to draft statements from litigants and witnesses
advise you on suitable experts and draft instructions to expert witnesses
offer you advice on the next steps to be taken in proceedings
draft formal court documents

Our barristers cannot:

issue court documents on your behalf
contact witnesses or collect and investigate evidence
instruct an expert witness on your behalf
handle your money
correspond with the other side on your behalf

We can be instructed directly on:

Can I email you about my legal issue?

Yes. If you complete the form below we will look at it and consider whether a barrister at Outer Temple Chambers may be able to help you under the Public Access Scheme. Completing this form does not commit you to anything.