Public Access

The main advantage of Public Access is that it could potentially be cost effective as you would be paying for the services of a barrister only instead of a barrister and a solicitor.  It is worth bearing in mind however that whilst the barrister would be able to deal with many aspects of a case, you may have to assist in some areas, including filing documents with the court for example.

Barristers specialise in providing expert legal advice, representing clients in court and drafting legal documents.  Solicitors normally give advice to and draft documents for their clients, or may instruct a barrister to provide this service.

Barristers are not able to provide some of the services that solicitors offer.  For example, they are not allowed to hold clients’ money in an account and unless they have been authorised to do so, they will not be able to conduct litigation on your behalf in a Public Access matter.

Not all matters can be dealt with through the Public Access route and in such circumstances it may be more appropriate to refer you to a solicitor (for example, Public Access is not available if your matter is funded by Legal Aid).

If we assess that your case is not suitable for Public Access we will inform you as soon as possible.

If you are interested in enquiring about our Public Access service please complete our ‘Initial Contact & Application Form’ which can be downloaded here.  Completed forms should be returned by email to [email protected] or by post to:

The Clerks
Kings Chambers
36 Young Street
Manchester
M3 3FT

Kings Chambers is committed to providing a high quality service at competitive rates.  The basis on which fees are charged will be agreed with our Clerks in advance of work being performed and a written quotation will be provided on request and outlined in the contract between yourself and the barrister.  The basis upon which fees are charged will take into consideration a number of factors including:

• Seniority and experience of the barrister required
• Time taken to complete the work
• Length of case and commitment required
• Complexity, seriousness and value of the case
• Expenses incurred including travel and accommodation (if applicable)

Fees will either be set at a fixed rate, charged on a per unit basis (for example if the barrister is required to attend a hearing) or on a hourly rate.  The agreed fee will be included in the contract between yourself and the barrister and payment of this fee will be required in advance.  Our barristers will only be able to accept instructions on the basis that the agreed fee amount is received as cleared funds in advance of work commencing.

All fees stated are exclusive of VAT unless otherwise indicated.

Yes.  Once instructions have been received and a fee agreed you will receive a client care letter and terms of engagement which you must sign and return.  It is important that you fully read and understand these documents as they form a contract between you and the barrister.