Information for our clients and for those people considering using our services

 

4 Brick Court and its barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Anyone thinking of using our services and would like an indication of our charges can ask us for a fee quote. This applies equally to members of the public who prefer to go directly to a barrister via Direct Access as it does to solicitors and licensed access organisations and individuals. It should be noted however that quotations do not amount to acceptance of instructions.

If you are considering instructing a barrister at 4 Brick Court via Direct Access, have a look at our table of fees for guidance purposes here.

4 Brick Court is a specialist family law chambers – ‘we only do family law’.

Our most common practice areas are public and private law Children Act proceedings; domestic violence and injunctions; financial remedies and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (TOLATA) cases.

The types of services offered at 4 Brick Court are:

i) legal advice
ii) drafting legal documents
iii) representation and advocacy services before a court or tribunal

The following factors might influence or affect the services to be provided by the barrister:

a) the late delivery of instructions and/or case documentation by a client resulting in the barrister not having sufficient time to meet timescales that might exist or prepare for the work to be undertaken.

b) the client failing to inform the barrister about work ordered by a court or deadlines to be adhered to resulting in the barrister not having sufficient time to meet deadlines or to prepare for the work to be undertaken.

c) the availability of the client or relevant third parties.

d) the approach taken by the other side.

e) cases in which the barrister is instructed that become listed for hearing by a court at very short notice or requiring some other immediate action resulting in the barrister not being available to complete other work.

f) court hearings in which the barrister is involved that overrun, i.e. hearings lasting longer than the court had listed them for. For example, a case listed by the court to last one day in fact lasts three days.

g) illness of the barrister preventing her/him from being able to undertake work.

h) circumstances that result in the barrister having to take a leave of absence.

Fees – Our most commonly used pricing models are fixed fees based on hourly rates so we will estimate in advance the likely hours of work needed to deliver the required service – such estimate will be made solely on the information provided by the client – to be able to assess a fixed fee. Fixed fees are popular amongst clients as it provides them with certainty knowing in advance how much the cost of the work will be.

An example of how our fees are calculated can be read here.

VAT at the rate of 20% is payable on top of all fees quoted.

You have the right to make a complaint. To read our Complaints Procedure please click here.

Complainants unhappy with the outcome of any complaint may take up their complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman has time limits in which a complaint must be raised with them. These time limits and details of how to complain to the Legal Ombudsman are explained at paragraph 10. of our Complaints Procedure.

The full list of who has a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman is available on their website and can be viewed here.

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) regulates barristers. You can use the Barristers’ Register which is an online database on the BSB website displaying details of all barristers who are authorised to practice in England and Wales and who have a current practising certificate. The Register also shows whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings. You can access the Barrister’s Register here.

The Legal Ombudsman is the body that looks at complaints about legal service providers. To view the Legal Ombudsman’s decisions made about legal service providers, please click here.

Barristers at 4 Brick Court are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.