Direct Access to a Barrister
Until recently it was not possible for a member of the public to obtain a barrister's services without first going to a solicitor. That has now changed and where a barrister has been licensed by the Bar Council to accept instructions from members of the public, you can now make an appointment to come yourself to St. Philips Chambers and ask a barrister to advise or act for you in almost any type of case without the need to first consult a solicitor.
In order to be permitted to accept clients who are not solicitors, a barrister must have been in independent practice for at least 3 years so you may be reassured that you will be advised by someone with genuine "hands-on" experience.
Public Access is permitted in relation to almost all legal problems and an appropriately qualified barrister can offer a wide range of services to help you solve the problem or to bring about a resolution with the assistance of the court or through mediation or arbitration.
If you have a legal problem and would like to discuss it with a Barrister please call one of our dedicated clerks who will explain the process to you and, if you decide you would like to talk with a barrister, put you in touch with the best person to deal with your problem.
On occasions, once we have considered the issues, it may be necessary to ask for the assistance of a solicitor to undertake some tasks. If that is in fact the case the clerk/barrister will so advise and explain why.
For full list of services St Philips Direct Access Barristers are able to offer please see the list below or speak to one of the members of our clerking team.
St Philips Barrister direct access team includes licensed practitioners acting in the following areas of law:-
| Commercial Law and Business Contracts | Intellectual Property |
| Criminal Law | Defamation |
| Financial Service | Competition Law |
| Employment Law | Sports Law |
| Property and Land including leases | Personal Injury Claims |
| Wills and Inheritance Claims | Professional Negligence Claims |
| Trading Standards and Consumer Regulation | Environmental Law |
| Health and Safety Law | Licensing Law |
| Food Standards | Family Law (Finance & Children) |
| Cohabitation Law | Mediation (Family & Civil) |
