Public Access

Public Access enables you to instruct a Barrister directly to assist on your case without a Solicitor involved. This can be utilised to save costs or to access expertise when you need it.

Can I instruct a Public Access Barrister:

Not all cases are suitable for Public Access and not all barristers undertake cases in this form. To enquire whether we can assist please complete the enquiry form on the right-hand side of this page so that you can begin a dialogue with chambers. From this we will be able to find out what options might be available to you so please include as much detail about your case as possible. If we are able to assist, we will provide you with the names of Counsel and a fee estimate for their work. If you then wished to proceed, we will also need undertake some administration checks, including a money laundering check, and payment would need to be taken before any work is done.

If you feel able and confident to handle the administrative aspects of a dispute yourself, without hiring a Solicitor, then instructing a Barrister directly may be the right choice for you and your case.

What can a Public Access barrister do:

You can instruct a Barrister to advise in writing or in conference on the prospects of your case, or to attend court and represent you in a hearing. There are limitations however on what a Barrister is permitted to do to assist and when instructing on a Public Access basis, you are committing to taking on the role carried out by a solicitor yourself. This can include preparing and providing bundles and documents for hearing, liaising with the court, filing documents and other tasks. A Public Access Barrister is unable to conduct litigation.

The general process of instructing a Public Access barrister:

Initial enquiry – Please fill out the form to the right with as much detail as possible
If negative response – if case is not suitable for Public Access we may try to suggest a solicitor who can help. (usually within 24hrs)
If positive response – we will email you with which Counsel we can offer to assist and a fee quote (usually within 24hrs)
Agreement – if you agree to the fees set out, we will then send you a Client Care Letter. This details the terms of work and your right to cancel. This needs to be signed and agreed.
Documentation – For money laundering purposes, we need to witness in person ID documents before we can accept instructions. This needs to be a photo ID and a utility bill or similar for proof of address. We will also require you to send us the bundle of paperwork relating to your case for preparation.
Payment – payment needs to be made prior to work commencing. Without payment of fees, Counsel will not attend Court, conference, or begin written work
Work – when the previous steps are completed, Counsel will begin work/ attend court and represent you
Further work – if further work is required on your case, a separate agreement will be sent, and fee quoted for each piece of work carried out

The Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients can be found here.

Details as to which barristers are able to undertake Public Access work, as well as further information on timescales and costs, can be found below.

2006*

Chris Smyth

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1986

Charles Goodall

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1990

Robert Trevis

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1991

Sheila Taurah

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1992

Richard Carron

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1992

Robin Shellard

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1995

Andrea Chute (Door Tenant)

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1996*

Simon Goodman

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1998

Mark Williams

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2002

Hamish MacBean - Head of Chancery & Commercial

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2002

Oliver Willmott

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2004

James Tucker

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2010

James Bromige - Head of Employment

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2013

Adam Griffiths

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2013

Mike Blitz

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2016

Anna Johns

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Contract

Our barristers can advise and represent you in court if you have a Contract case. We are happy to assist Claimants and Defendants in commercial or consumer issues.

Counsel can advise in writing or in conference and are also happy to attend hearings should the case proceed to Court.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity and value of your case, the need for additional documents and the approach of the other side. As a guide, written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. For court hearings, we would ideally need two weeks’ notice of the date of the hearing, however, we appreciate you may also need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and our barristers will aim to represent you at the hearing where possible.

Fees

We charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. These fees will be payable before written work is provided or a hearing/ conference commences.

Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Queen Square Chambers. VAT will be charged on top of these fees.

Your fixed fees may vary depending on your needs – for example, your fees may be towards the higher end of the range if you need a more experienced barrister and/or you have a complex case. If you have a particularly complex case or it has an unusually high volume of paperwork, your fees may also be higher than the estimates below. Additional travel costs would depend on the location of the court venue or conference location.

If the value of the claim is over £25k or the Trial is listed for more than one day please contact the clerks

	Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
*Claim – More than £10,000, but not more than £14,000*
	Conference with you	£500 – £750 + VAT
	Written advice on claim	£500 – £1000 + VAT
	Preparation of case, including conference with you and assistance with drafting court documents	£500 – £900 + VAT
	1 day trial (If required)	£1070 + VAT
*Claim – more than £15,000 (generally, no more than £25,000)*
	Conference with you	£650 – £1000 + VAT
	Written advice on your claim	£650 – £1250 + VAT
	Preparation of case, including conference with you and assistance with drafting court documents	£650 – £1000 + VAT
	1 day trial (If required)	£1705 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail civil@qsc.law.

Employment

Our barristers can advise both Employees and Employers on unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims either in conference or in writing. We can also represent both Employees and Employers at the Employment Tribunal from preliminary stages, through to final hearings.

It may be that the issues in your case fall outside of the above categories, however we may still be able to assist. Please call a clerk on 0117 921 1966 or email employment@qsc.law to discuss your matter further.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case, the need for additional documents and the other side’s approach.

As a guide, written advice in your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. For court hearings, we would ideally need two weeks’ notice of the date of the hearing, however, we appreciate you may also need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and we will aim to represent you at the hearing where possible.

As a guide more standard cases tend to have a hearing date within 4-6 months of a claim being made.

Fees

We charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. These fees will be payable before written work is provided or a hearing/ conference commences. Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Queen Square Chambers. VAT will be charged on top of these fees.

The quotes below are applicable for up to a 3 day hearing. If your hearing is listed for more than 3 days please contact the clerks.

Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
Written advice on your claim	£500 – £1500 + VAT
Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of tribunal documents.	£500 – £1500 +VAT
Preliminary Hearing	£750 – £1500 + VAT
First day’s tribunal appearance (maximum 3 day hearing)	£1250 – £4500 + VAT
Tribunal appearances per day, after the first day	£750 – £1500 + VAT
Remedy hearing (to decide compensation)	£750 – £1500 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail employment@qsc.law.

Financial Remedy

Our barristers can advise and represent you in court throughout your financial remedy proceedings. We can advise you if you and your former partner cannot agree on Financial Matters during, or after, a divorce.

For example, you may not be able to agree on how assets should be divided, whether to sell our home or other assets, maintenance payments and pension sharing.

If you cannot agree, you can apply to a court for a financial order. You may also need to attend a number of court hearings – our Barristers are happy to be instructed to attend these hearings on your behalf.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of the assets involved, availability of documents, whether children are involved and even the approach of the other side.

As a guide, written advice in your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. For court hearings, we would ideally need two weeks’ notice of the date of the hearing, however, we appreciate you may also need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and our barristers will aim to represent you at the hearing where possible.

Court Hearings for a financial order tend to take 6-12 months. This does not include possible appeals.

Fees

Your fixed fees may vary depending on your needs – for example, your fees may be towards the higher end of the range if you need a more experienced barrister and/or you have assets in excess of £300,000. If you have a particularly complex case or it has an unusually high volume of paperwork, your fees may also be higher than the estimates below. Additional travel costs would depend on the location of the court or conference venue.

Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
Written advice on your financial dispute	£750 – £1500 + VAT
Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of any court documents	£750 – £1500 + VAT
First directions appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information)	£900 – £1750 + VAT
Financial dispute resolution hearing (second court hearing to reach a financial settlement)	£1000 – £2500 + VAT
First day of final hearing (if no settlement was reached in the financial dispute resolution hearing)	£1500 – £5000 + VAT
Court appearances per day, after the first day of the final hearing	£950 – £1500 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail family@qsc.law.

Motoring Offences

Our barristers can advise and represent you in court if you are charged with a ‘summary only’ motoring offence. This is a motoring offence which can only be heard in the Magistrates’ Court. For example, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, careless driving, failing to stop or report and speeding.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case and the need for additional documents. If your case required a written advice, this will be provided within two to four weeks of receipt of all documentation.

If your case requires a conference, this will be fixed at the first opportunity after receipt of all case papers. This date will only be amended if your barrister becomes unavailable due to other professional commitments.

Fees

We charge fixed fees for each stage of these matters. Meaning we will charge you a set amount of money for all of the work involved in your case. Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Queen Square Chambers. VAT will be charged on top of these fees as shown.

Instances where fees could be higher than those quoted below:

Additional court hearings; Additional conferences; consideration of expert material such as accident investigator; providing assistance in instructing an expert witness. Should any of these instances occur we will contact you at the earliest opportunity and not undertake any chargeable work without your permission/agreement.

Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
Written advice on your case	£300-£500 plus VAT
Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of court documents.	£300-£1,000 plus VAT
Guilty Pleas	£350-£1,500 plus VAT
First appearance (pre-trial court appearance)	£350-£750 plus VAT
First day of trial	£500-£1500 plus VAT
Court appearances per day, after the first day of trial	£250-£750 plus VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021. Please note the above fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 9211966 or e-mail crime@qsc.law.

We will discuss the nature of your case and will require sight of your case papers to enable counsel to make an accurate assessment of the work involved. We will then contact you to discuss the fees, before providing you with a client contract letter confirming the way in which we will conduct your case, which we will require signed and returned to us before any work commences.

Personal Injury

If you have had an accident that is not your fault and you wish to make a personal injury claim, our barristers can advise you on the prospects of succeeding in your claim.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case and the need for additional documents. As a guide, written advice in your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible.

Fees

The only Personal Injury work currently undertaken by the team is with regard to providing second opinions for the purposes of re-instating Legal Expenses Insurance

We charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. These fees will be payable before written work is provided or a hearing/ conference commences.

Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Queen Square Chambers. VAT will be charged on top of these fees.

If the value of the claim is over £25k or the Trial is listed for more than one day please contact the clerks.

	Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
*Claim – not more than £9,999*
	Conference with you	£500 – £750 + VAT
	Written advice on claim	£500 – £750 + VAT
*Claim – more than £10,000, but not more than £14,999*
	Conference with you	£650 – £1000 + VAT
	Written advice on claim	£650 – £1000 + VAT
*Claim – more than £15,000 (generally, no more than £25,000)*
	Conference with you	£750 – £1250 + VAT
	Written advice on claim	£750 – £1250 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail civil@qs-c.co.uk.

Private Law Children

Our barristers can advise and represent you in court if you and your former partner cannot agree on arrangements for your child during, or after, a divorce or separation.

Examples of this could be that you may not be able to agree on where your child lives, when your child spends time with each parent or what school they go to. You may also wish to stop your former partner from making a decision about a child’s upbringing.

If you cannot agree with your former partner, you can apply to a court for an order. You may need to attend a number of court hearings from directions/ case management hearings, through to contested final hearings. Our barristers are available to assist in Court in all hearings.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case and the need for additional documents. The date your hearing is listed on will also impact upon whether a Barrister is available to assist.

As a guide, written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. For court hearings, we would ideally need two weeks’ notice of the date of the hearing, however, we appreciate you may also need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and our barristers will aim to represent you at the hearing where possible.

Fees

Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
Written advice	£500 – £1000 + VAT
Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of any court documents	£500 – £1000 + VAT
First hearing (to see if the parties can agree)	£500 – £1000 + VAT
Directions hearing (if the parties cannot agree, to arrange the final hearing)	£500 – £1000 + VAT
Interim hearing (in some cases it may be necessary to, for example, decide whether a child should have contact with a parent before the final hearing)	£750 – £1250 + VAT
Pre-hearing review (to ensure the case is ready for the final hearing)	£750 – £1250 + VAT
First day of final hearing	£1000 – £4000 + VAT
Court appearances per day, after the first day of the final hearing	£750 – £1500 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail family@qsc.law.

Probate Inheritance Act

The Inheritance Act 1975 protects spouses (including former spouses), co-habitants, children and other dependants when a person dies without leaving sufficient money for their continued wellbeing.

Our barristers can provide you with advice in writing or in conference on whether you can make a claim under the Act. We can also assist with providing advice when a person dies and you are the beneficiary of the estate, but someone else makes a claim under the Act.

We may also be able to assist should your matter require a Court hearing. If this is applicable to your situation please contact the clerks to discuss.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of the deceased’s estate, your financial needs and those of any beneficiaries of the estate and the availability of documents. However claims under the act must be made within 6 months of the grant of Probate.

As a guide, written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible.

Please contact the clerks if your case is not covered in the above or is proceeding to Court.

Fees

We charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. These fees will be payable before written work is provided or a hearing/ conference commences.

Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Queen Square Chambers. VAT will be charged on top of these fees.

For hearing fees, please contact the clerks.

Stage of Case	Range of hourly rates (estimates)
Written advice on making or defending a claim	£150 – £350 + VAT
Conference with you	£150 – £350 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail civil@qsc.law.

Property

Our barristers can advise and represent you in court should you have a Property, Landlord & Tenant, Rights of Way or Boundary Dispute case.

We are happy to advise Claimant and Defendants in writing or in conference and attend Court for hearings throughout the process, from injunctions to full hearings.

Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case, the need for additional documents and the approach of the other side.

Fees

Stage of Case	Range of fixed fees (estimates)
Conference with you	£750-£2250 + VAT
Written advice on your claim	£750-£2000 + VAT
Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of any Court documents	£1000-£1750 + VAT
Pre-trial review hearing	£1000- £2000 + VAT
First day of final hearing	£1500-£5000 + VAT
Court appearances per day, after the first day of the final hearing	£950-£1750 + VAT

Contact Us

All information is correct as of June 2021, but fees are estimates only. For the most accurate fixed fee estimate, please contact the clerks on 0117 921 1966 or e-mail civil@qsc.law.

Litigation

Standard Public Access instructions, as detailed above, involve the Client conducting the litigation themselves however it is possible to instruct a Barrister to conduct Litigation too.

Robert Trevis has been granted an extension to his Practising Certificate by the Bar Council which enables him to also conduct litigation on a Public Access basis. Robert specialises in Chancery, and Family Law and is available for instructions in these areas.

This means he can assist with drafting, filing documents and forms with the court, preparing bundles, statements and corresponding with opposing parties.

If you feel that you wish to enquire about assistance with Litigation as well as Representation, please speak with the Clerks who can discuss your case and requirements to find the best way forward for you.

Proceeding with a Public Access Litigation instruction involves greater costs than standard Public Access Instructions. Counsel is necessarily engaged in more and ongoing work. Further there are administrative costs related to printing and compiling bundles if required. As a guide, Counsel’s fees for this work are £250-£300+vat per hour, though we may be able to agree a total fee for specific work if appropriate. It is Chamber’s policy that all fees must be paid in advance of work commencing. As conducting litigation is more bespoke, it is best to contact the Clerks who can provide an accurate quote for you to consider.

If you feel able to deal with the administrative tasks of your case yourself, and only require representation at Court or formal Advice on the best way forward then you may well be best placed utilising the standard Public Access scheme. The Clerks can discuss these options with you though and their relative costs.

Before proceeding with any Public Access Litigation instruction, we recommend that you consider if you would be eligible for Legal Aid, or if you have any insurance policies that may provide for Legal Assistance/ Cover.

If you wish to submit an enquiry please use the form on this webpage and indicate this would be a Public Access Litigation enquiry, or call the Clerks to discuss.

To find out more about Public Access please contact the clerks

Contact the Clerks

T:	0117 921 1966
F:	0117 927 6493
E:	civil@qsc.law crime@qsc.law employment@qsc.law family@qsc.law

Public Access

Chris Smyth

Charles Goodall

Robert Trevis

Sheila Taurah

Richard Carron

Robin Shellard

Andrea Chute (Door Tenant)

Simon Goodman

Mark Williams

Hamish MacBean - Head of Chancery & Commercial

Oliver Willmott

James Tucker

James Bromige - Head of Employment

Adam Griffiths

Mike Blitz

Anna Johns

Contact us

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