How to instruct us

Stage 1 – Initial contact

Our clerks can be contacted by telephone, email, fax or letter.

You will be asked for the following information:

• Your name and contact details.
• Whom you represent.
• The nature of the dispute (e.g unfair dismissal claim, contract dispute).
• The identity of the other party to the dispute.
• The work required (e.g representation at a hearing, opinion in writing, advice on merits, procedure or quantum).
• Any relevant deadlines (e.g hearing date, date for filing a document or accepting a settlement offer).

Our clerks will normally be able to tell you at this stage whether this is work that we can undertake under public access, suggest a barrister or barristers who are appropriate for your case and tell you what their charging rates are. Fees will be agreed after the next stage.

Stage 2 – Instructions to Counsel

Our clerks will ask you to send copies of the relevant documents to Chambers with a covering letter. This is commonly known as Instructions to Counsel. You do not incur any liability for the barrister’s fees by doing this. The barrister will review the papers and make an assessment of the work required.

Stage 3 – Instructing Counsel

Our clerks will contact you to agree a fee for the work that needs to be done. If you are happy with the fee, you will be sent two copies of a ‘client care’ letter. What should I put in my instructions to Counsel?] that contains standard terms drafted by the Bar Council. It will say what the barrister is instructed to do, any relevant timescale, the fee for the work and the terms of payment. You are asked to read the ‘client care’ letter carefully, sign one copy and return it to Chambers.

If you have any queries at any stage our clerks will be happy to help.