What is Public Access?

The Public Access Scheme allows members of the public to instruct a barrister direct in appropriate cases.  More information is available on the website of the Bar Standards Board and their factsheet is available here: Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients.

What Public Access services do we offer?

To view our Price, Service & Redress Transparency information, which explains how we provide and cost our services for public access clients please click here.

Not all barristers accept these instructions and 9 Park Place does not currently offer this service for any immigration cases or for any family law proceedings relating to children or financial disputes arising out of divorce

In suitable cases a barrister can:
  • Appear on your behalf in court
  • Give you legal advice
  • Draft legal documents for you (eg a Particulars of Claim or Defence)
  • Draft a witness statement based on information provided
  • Draft a letter for you

The current list of our barristers who do accept public access instructions in suitable cases can be found in the slider below.

Not all cases are suitable for public access, and not all barristers accept instructions in public access cases.

None of our barristers conduct litigation so bear this is in mind if you will need assistance to perform the administrative tasks of litigation (eg gathering evidence, lodging documents at court).

If you want to find a barrister who can conduct litigation the Bar Council has an online directory of all Public Access barristers, called the Direct Access Portal, which you can find here.

Funding

If you are eligible for public funding (legal aid) and wish to take advantage of this funding, you should approach a solicitor as barristers cannot do legal aid work unless they have been instructed by a solicitor. If you are unsure if you are eligible and want to understand more, the legal aid eligibility information on the gov.uk website can be accessed here.

If you think you may be able to obtain legal expenses insurance funding (perhaps, depending on the type of legal issue you have, on your car or home insurance policy or through certain employee benefit schemes or union membership) please carefully check the policy and any requirements it has – insurers normally have a panel of solicitors who do their legal work. Useful information on legal insurance can be found here on the Legal Choices website, which is run by the legal regulators and makes information available to assist consumers.

Please note that we do not accept instructions in Public Access cases on any form of conditional, deferred or contingency fee basis.

We have information available for a selected number of types of cases, listed below, but our barristers can assist you in other types of cases as well.

9 Park Place Public Access: Employment Tribunal – Unfair and Wrongful Dismissal Claims

Our barristers advise both Employees and Employers in unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims and represent both Employees and Employers at the Employment Tribunal from preliminary stages, through to final hearings.

They are able to assist you with:
  • Advice in writing or conference on the merits of the claim
  • Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of tribunal documents.
  • Representation at any Preliminary Hearing as ordered by the Tribunal
  • Representation at the Final Hearing
  • Representation at the Remedy hearing (to decide compensation)
Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by
Timescales

There are a number of different factors which may influence the timescales within which a barrister can provide legal services. These include, but are not limited to:

  • The particular requirements of the client
  • The availability of the chosen barrister and his/her other diary commitments
  • The stage of proceedings when instructions are first received
  • The complexity of the case and the volume of material that will need to be reviewed
  • The level of funding available
  • The nature of the case and level of engagement from other parties involved in the case

As a guide, written advice in your case would usually be available within two – four weeks where possible. A conference can be arranged within the same timescale.

Please give us as much notice as possible of any listed hearings by contacting the clerks in the first instance. For final hearings we would hope to have at least two weeks notice in order for counsel to have time to prepare, bearing in mind other professional commitments.

We do appreciate, however, that you may also need to arrange representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks and we will aim to represent you at the hearing where possible. The Employment Tribunal centre hearing the claim will be able to give you further information but, as a guide, standard cases tend to have a final hearing date listed within 4 – 6 months of a claim being made.

Fees

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Your fixed fee will 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 complex case, or it has an unusually high volume of paperwork. Additional travel costs would depend on the location of the court venue or conference venue.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your claim so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions, or your case is a different type of employment dispute, please contact the clerks to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

9 Park Place Public Access: Inheritance Act – Advice on Making or Defending a Claim

The Inheritance Act 1975 protects spouses (including former spouses), cohabitants, children and other dependants when a person dies without leaving sufficient money for the dependent’s continued wellbeing. Our barristers can provide you with written advice on whether you can make a claim under the Act. Our barristers can also provide you with written advice when a person dies and you are a beneficiary of the estate, but someone else makes a claim under the Act. The information provided below presumes the deceased person’s estate is worth less than £300,000.

Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by:
Timescales

There are a number of different factors which may influence the timescales within which a barrister can provide legal services. These include, but are not limited to:

  • The particular requirements of the client
  • The availability of the chosen barrister and his/her other diary commitments
  • The value and complexity of the deceased person’s estate
  • Your financial needs and those of any beneficiary of the estate.
  • The complexity of the case and the volume of material that will need to be reviewed
Fees

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you, in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Claims under the Act must be made within six months of the grant of probate. As a guide your written advice will be available within two to four weeks where possible.

Your fixed fee will 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 the deceased person’s estate is more complex.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your case so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions, or the estate is valued at more than £300,000 please contact the clerks to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

9 Park Place Public Access: Licensing applications in relation to business premises

Our barristers can advise you on the following licensing applications for your business: the sale and supply of alcohol, change of opening hours, and entertainment purposes. Our barristers can also represent you when your application is heard by the local authority licensing committee, and in any appeal to the Magistrates’ Court.

Our barristers can:
  • Advise you on your application
  • Meet with you to prepare and assist with drafting the application
  • Attend at the Local Authority licensing committee hearing (preparation + hearing)
  • Attend at the Appeal to the Magistrates’ Court – initial hearing (preparation + hearing)
  • Attend at the Appeal to the Magistrates’ Court – full hearing (preparation + hearing)
Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by:
Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case, the need for additional documents.

Written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. Hearing dates for local authority licensing committees are set in advance and we will aim to represent you on your preferred hearing date where possible.

If the local authority licensing committee refuses your application, appeals must be made to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days.

Fees

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you, in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Your fixed fee will 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 licensing application.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your case so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions please contact the clerks in the first instance to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

9 Park Place Public Access: Motoring Offences (Summary only)

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. We can provide advice and / or representation at the following stages of the process:

  • Written advice on your case
  • Preparation of case, including conferences with you and assistance with drafting of court documents.
  • First Appearance at Court (pre-trial)
  • Guilty Pleas
  • Trial (First and any subsequent day required)
Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by:
Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case and the need for additional documents. As a guide, written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. We appreciate that you may need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks who will aim to arrange representation at the hearing for you where possible.

Fees

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you, in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Your fixed fee will 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.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your case so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions, or you have a different type of criminal case, please contact the clerks in the first instance to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

9 Park Place Public Access: Personal Injury

If you have had an accident that is not your fault and you wish to make a personal injury claim, our barristers can advise you on the prospects of succeeding in your claim.

More straightforward cases will ideally settle within six months of a claim being made. If a trial is required you should contact the court centre which is hearing your case for the latest listing information but, as a guide, you might expect to have to wait up to two years for your case to be heard.

Our barristers can:
  • Advise you on the merits of your case (in writing / in person / by phone)
  • Represent you at court hearings
  • Draft documents for you to use in court proceedings
Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by:
Timescales

Timescales for our services 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. As a guide, written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. We appreciate that you may need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks who will aim to arrange representation at the hearing for you where possible.

Fees

We do not offer our services on any form of conditional fee, contingency fee or deferred payment arrangement.

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you, in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Your fixed fee will 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.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your case so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions please contact the clerks in the first instance to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

9 Park Place Public Access: Winding-up Petitions

If you are owed £750 or more by a company and are able to prove that the company cannot pay you, you may be able to apply to a court to close or ‘wind-up’ the company. Our barristers can advise you on the process of issuing a winding-up petition and represent you at the court hearing.

If you are issuing a winding-up petition you should note that, even if the company is wound up, you might not get all or any of the money you are owed.

If you are a company which has had a winding-up petition issued against you our barristers can also advise you on the process of defending it and represent you at the court hearing.

Our barristers can:
  • Advise you on issuing or defending the winding-up petition (in writing / in person / by phone)
  • Assist you with completion of forms and all necessary steps to take
  • Preparation for and attendance at the court hearing(s)
Public Access clients may contact Chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services by:
Timescales

Timescales for our services may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your case, the need for additional documents and court waiting times. You should check with the court dealing with your application but, as a guide, courts tend to list a hearing date eight to ten weeks after a winding-up petition is issued.

Generally speaking written advice on your case will be available within two to four weeks where possible. We appreciate that you may need representation at short notice. If so, please contact the clerks who will aim to arrange representation at the hearing for you where possible.

Fees

Our barristers charge between £200 and £300 plus vat per hour. Using the hourly rate as a guideline, we will always agree a fixed fee with you, in advance of doing any work and within 14 days of receiving sufficient information to be able to do so.

Your fixed fee will 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.

Please contact the clerks in the first instance and be prepared to provide the available paperwork in your case so that we are able to accurately assess the work required in order to agree a fixed fee to advise or represent you.

If you have any questions please contact the clerks in the first instance to discuss your requirements.

All information correct as of 2024.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, or would like to instruct one of our barristers on a public access basis, please contact our clerks.