If you are a member of the public, or a corporate or non-corporate organisation, there are matters suitable for instruction of counsel directly, for legal advice and representation. Such instruction may be made to the barrister without the need to go through a solicitor or other intermediary. The Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients may be found online at the link below:

Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients

Foundry Chambers have specialist Public Access trained barristers available in the following practice areas:

Fraud and Financial Crime; Criminal Defence; Regulatory; Professional Discipline; Health and Safety and Road Traffic Offences.

Barristers undertaking Public Access work can draft documents, appear in courts, tribunals or inquiries on their client’s behalf, and provide legal advice. There are real advantages to the direct public access scheme, not least the savings in cost. In financial times such as these, importantly, this scheme allows for the provision of specialist expert, professional advice and advocacy direct from counsel, with the cost saving in removing the fees that would otherwise have been incurred by the instruction of a solicitor.

To find out if your case is suitable for Public Access and to determine which level of barrister you require and to obtain a quotation, please contact the Senior clerk, Angela May. Your enquiry will be reviewed by a qualified Public Access barrister within 48 hours of the receipt of all relevant information. All of the barristers at Foundry Chambers who accept Public Access work are registered with the Bar Council to conduct public access work and are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. A list of those members at Foundry Chambers can be found by searching the Bar Standards Board.

The cost of instructing a barrister directly will either be charged as a fixed fee or an hourly rate, depending on the nature of the work. Rates will depend upon a variety of factors, including the nature and complexity of the matter, and the seniority and level of expertise of the barrister instructed. The current rate of VAT will be added to the quoted fee or hourly rate where applicable. Expenses will only be added to the fee quotation where agreed at the outset. Fees will be transparent and in compliance with BSB guidelines.

Each and every case is unique, and fixed fees will depend on a multitude of factors. Hourly rates for written work, case preparation, including conferences and court appearances, are as follows:

For the most accurate fee estimate please contact the clerks room.

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as availability, complexity of the case and need for additional documents. For this type of work, written advice will usually be available within 2 weeks. If you need representation at short notice, please contact the clerking team and we will aim to assist you wherever possible. Barristers will endeavour to provide legal services promptly and efficiently, however there may be occasions when timescales cannot be met due to:

• Counsel availability
• Availability of the client or relevant third parties
• Complexity of the case
• Amount of papers to be reviewed
• The need for additional information and documents.
• Court waiting times

At present the Public Access scheme does not apply to publicly funded work. If your case is not suitable for Public Access our clerks can recommend an appropriate solicitor for both private and publicly funded work.

Contact us

We strive to provide an excellent level of quality at all times. However, if you feel that the service provided has fallen short of expectations, you are invited to make use of our formal complaints procedure. Please direct your complaint to Angela May. In many instances, potential complaints can be resolved informally but if not then you will be invited to send a written request for a copy of our internal complaints procedure.

Our complaints procedure also provides information on any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) – the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response; how to complain to the LeO and any time limits for making a complaint.

Legal Ombudsman

All barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the barrister’s Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website here:

Bar Standards Board barrister’s register