Public Access

If you are a member of the public, some of our barristers can now accept instructions from clients directly under the Public Access Scheme. 

Details of the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients can be found here. This will help you to understand how the Public Access scheme works, and explains how you can use it to instruct barristers directly.

Not all cases are suitable for the Public Access Scheme and not all barristers accept instructions in this way. Those currently accepting instructions under the Public Access Scheme are:

George Pollitt

Alistair Veck

Areas of expertise

Our chambers’ members accept work through public access in the following areas of expertise:

  • Employment
  • Representing clients in regulatory hearings before professional bodies;
  • Representing clients facing criminal prosecution for regulatory offences (when not entitled to legal aid);
  • Representing clients facing criminal prosecution for summary only offences, including motoring offences (when not entitled to legal aid);
  • Education cases;
  • Contractual and commercial disputes;
  • Debt recovery;
  • Landlord and tenant law; and
  • Personal Injury for claimants and defendants.

 

How to receive a quote

Please contact our Clerks who can help you through the process. You can telephone or contact the clerks by email or via our contact page. Please provide the clerks with a concise summary of the issue that you would like advice or assistance with and also your full name, the name of the other parties involved in the case (so we can ensure there are no conflicts of interest) and your contact details.  Please inform of us any urgent deadlines that need to be met (such as court or tribunal orders) and the date of event or act you are seeking advice upon.

 

Our clerks will consider your enquiry and will discuss with you if required before passing the information on to a barrister to consider. The barrister may well need to have a meeting or discussion via phone or email to better understand the issues at hand and whether he or she will be able to assist.  We will also have to carry out basic checks such as your identification, for which you will need to provide evidence. An agreement will be reached over how the matter is to proceed.

 

Charging 

A barrister usually charges according to their level of experience, the complexity of the case and the length of time involved in dealing with it. We will ensure that the cost to you and the stage at which the fee is payable is agreed at the outset. We will send to you clear terms of the agreement reached between you and the barrister in a written format.  

 

Fees can be agreed on an hourly rate or a fixed fee.  No fees will be incurred by you until the basis has been agreed with you.  Most of the members of chambers are registered for VAT and fees quoted will include VAT unless for example in an immigration case the client is not subject to VAT or unless expressly stated otherwise. 

 

In some cases, travel and other expenses such as accommodation may be charged in addition to the particular fee.  However, this will be made clear to you in the agreement you reach with the barrister.

 

Your role

If you instruct one of our barristers on a pubic access basis, then In all cases you will need to sign a ‘client care’ letter which sets out the nature of the work the barrister has agreed to do for you, the fees he or she will charge and other terms of the agreement. We will send the client care letter to you after a quote has been accepted but before any work is commenced.

Thereafter, the level of your involvement will depend on the particular work involved. In certain cases you may need to do some of the administrative tasks in order to progress the case along. In most cases you will need to gather together the relevant documents and the evidence in support of your case and provide these to the barrister to be considered. You may also for example need to receive and send the correspondence in the case and file documents at court. The barrister can however advise you about the steps that need to be taken and can draft the documents for use in the proceedings.

 

Employment Tribunal – Fee Estimates

 Our barristers can advise both employees and employers on ordinary unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims. Our barristers can also represent both employees and employers at the Employment Tribunal.

 

Timescales

 Timescales for your case 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. However, as a guide more straightforward cases tend to have a hearing date four to six months of a claim being made.

 

Fees

 We may charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Iscoed Chambers. All fees include VAT (where applicable). 

 

If we charge fixed fees, these 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 more complex case. If you have a particularly complex case, your fees may also be higher than the estimates below. There may also be additional costs of travel and accommodation.

 

Stage of case

 

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Written advice on your claim

£300-£2100

Preparation of case, including meetings with you and assistance with drafting of any tribunal documents

£300-£3,000

Preliminary hearing

£300-£1,500

First day’s tribunal appearance

£780-£3,000

Tribunal appearances per day, after the first day

£540-£1,800

Remedy hearing (to decide compensation)

£780-£1,800

 

Our barristers sometimes charge hourly rates for advocacy, advisory and drafting work. There are a number of factors which may determine the rate that is set, for example the seniority of barrister, the type of client, and the complexity and financial value of the case. Our barristers hourly rates usually vary between £180-£240 (inclusive of VAT) per hour. Below we provide estimates based on the range of hourly rates and time estimates for stages of an employment tribunal claim for barristers at Iscoed Chambers. All fees are inclusive of VAT (where applicable).

 

Stage of case

 

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

Written advice on your claim

£180-£240 per hour,  2-10 hours

Preparation of case, including meetings with you and assistance with drafting of any tribunal documents

£180-£240 per hour, 5-40 hours

Preliminary hearing

£180-£240 per hour, 1-10 hours

First day’s tribunal appearance

£180-£240 per hour, 8-15 hours

Tribunal appearances per day, after the first day

£180-£240 per hour, 8-10 hours

Remedy hearing (to decide compensation)

£180-£240 per hour, 4-10 hours

 

Summary Only Motoring Offences – Fee Estimates

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 barristers’ services may vary depending on factors such as the barrister’s availability, the complexity of your case, and the need for additional documents. However, as a guide written advice on your case should be available within 2 to 4 weeks of you instructing a barrister, where possible. You may also need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and we will aim for one of our barristers to represent you at the hearing where possible.

 

Fees

Our barristers may charge fixed fees, which means that the barrister will charge you a set amount of money for the work. Below we provide estimates based on the range of fixed fees for barristers at Iscoed Chambers. All fees are inclusive of VAT (where applicable).

If a barrister charges fixed fees, these may vary depending on your needs. For example, your fees may be towards the higher end of the range if you have a more complex case and/or you need a more experienced barrister. If you have a particularly complex case, your fees may also be higher than the estimates below.

Stage of case

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Written advice on your case

£300 to £900

Preparation of case, including meeting with you and assistance with drafting of court documents

£600 to £3,000

Guilty pleas

£900 to £1,800

First appearance (pre-trial court appearance)

£600 to £1,200

First day of trial

£1,500 to £3,600 This estimate is for hearings up to 2 days. The clerks will be happy to provide a quote for longer hearings on request.

Court appearance per day (after first day) or part thereof

£900 to £2,100

Our barristers sometimes charge hourly rates for advisory and drafting work. The setting of hourly rates is not necessarily straightforward, and a number of factors may determine the rate that is set, for example the seniority of barrister, the type of client, and the complexity of the case. Below we provide estimates based on the range of hourly rates for barristers at Iscoed Chambers. All fees are inclusive of VAT (where applicable).

Stage of case

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

Written advice on your case

£200 to £300

Preparation of case, including meeting with you and assistance with drafting of court documents

£200 to £300

 

Personal Injury Claims - Fees

If you have had an accident which was not your fault and you wish to make a personal injury claim, our barristers can advise and represent you.  

 

Timescales

Timescales for your claim may vary depending on factors such as the barrister’s availability, the complexity of your claim, the need for additional documents, the other side’s approach, and court waiting times. However, more straightforward cases will ideally settle within 6 to 12 months of a claim being made. If a trial is required, as a guide the courts tend to have a final hearing date within 2 years of a claim being issued with the court.

 

Fees

Our barristers may charge fixed fees, which means that the barrister will charge you a set amount of money for the work. Below we provide fee estimates for claims which are likely to be allocated to the Fast-Track (generally, claims worth up to £25,000) and the range of current fixed fees for barristers at Iscoed Chambers. All fees inclusive of VAT (where applicable).

If a barrister charges fixed fees, these may vary depending on your needs. For example, your fees may be towards the higher end of the range if you have a more complex case and/or you need a more experienced barrister. There are also likely to be additional costs in the form of Court fees for making a claim or making applications to the Court. For more information on Court fees, follow this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50

Claim – Up to £2,999

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Initial meeting with you

£180 to £300

Written advice on your claim

£300 to £600

Drafting a statement of case

£300 to £420

Trial (if required)

£600

Claim – £3,000 to £9,999

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Initial meeting with you

£240 to £360

Written advice on your claim

£432 to £720

Drafting a statement of case

£432 to £600

Trial (if required)

£852

Claim – £10,000 to £14,999

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Initial meeting with you

£360 to £420

Written advice on your claim

£600 to £900

Drafting a statement of case

£480 to £780

Trial (if required)

£1,284

Claim – £15,000 to £25,000

Range of fixed fees (estimates)

Initial meeting with you

£360 to £480

Written advice on your claim

£720 to £1020

Drafting a statement of case

£600 to £900

Trial (if required)

£2,046

 

Our barristers sometimes charge hourly rates for advisory and drafting work. The setting of hourly rates is not necessarily straightforward and a number of factors may determine the rate that is set, for example the seniority of barrister, the type of client, and the complexity and financial value of the case. Below we provide estimates based on the range of hourly rates for barristers at Iscoed Chambers. All fees are inclusive of VAT (where applicable).

Claim – Up to £2,999

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

 

Initial meeting with you

£200 to £300

 

Written advice on your claim

£200 to £300

 

Drafting a statement of case

£200 to £300

 

Trial (if required)

£600

 

Claim – £3,000 to £9,999

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

 

Initial meeting with you

£200 to £300

 

Written advice on your claim

£200 to £300

 

Drafting a statement of case

£200 to £300

 

Trial (if required)

£852

 

Claim – £10,000 to £14,999

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

 

Initial meeting with you

£200 to £300

 

Written advice on your claim

£200 to £300

 

Drafting a statement of case

£200 to £300

 

Trial (if required)

£1,284

 

Claim – £15,000 to £25,000

Range of hourly rates (estimates)

 

Initial meeting with you

£200 to £300

 

Written advice on your claim

£200 to £300

 

Drafting a statement of case

£200 to £300

 

Trial (if required)

£2,046

 

 

Please also contact the clerks for a quote if your claim is for more than £25,000. We will provide you with a quote as soon as possible. We always aim to set out quotes clearly, but if you receive your quote and there is something you do not understand, please contact us.

 

Contact Us

 All information is correct as of June 2020 but fees are estimates only.  For a quotation, please contact the clerks on 01792 652988 or Clerks@iscoedchambers.co.uk.