Hailsham’s clerking team are the first point of contact for all enquiries. They are able to assist with all enquiries about instructing Chambers and will be happy to advise on the availability and suitability of barristers and the process of working with us generally. They have extensive knowledge of each barrister and their areas of practice and are able to make recommendations as to the best course of action
The clerks will be happy to provide fee estimates for specific items of work and for costs budgets moving forward on any particular case. Meeting deadlines is crucial and to that end we will always be willing to agree a timetable for completing the work.
If you choose to instruct one of our barristers, they will endeavour to complete the work on your case as soon as possible. However, various factors may affect the timescales in which the barrister can complete the work. These include: the barrister's availability; the availability of the client; the complexity of the case; the amount of papers to be reviewed; the need for any additional information or documents; the approach taken by the other side; whether any third parties intervene in the case; and court waiting times.
We aim to provide an efficient, professional and friendly service that will ensure that the clients expectations are met throughout the process.
Chambers offers the services of its members in accordance with the Bar Standards Board’s Standard Condition of Contract for the supply of legal services by barristers to authorised persons.
If you have any questions regarding the Contractual Terms, please speak to a member of the clerking team.
Professional clients are welcome to contact chambers to obtain a quotation from their chosen barrister. If you are a lay client who is represented by a solicitor, your solicitor will do this for you. If you are not represented by a solicitor, you may also contact chambers directly to instruct our members of chambers who are qualified for public access (see further our ‘Direct Public Access’ page on this website).
Chambers uses different pricing models depending on the work in question. This may take the form of an hourly rate, a brief fee and refreshers, or, in certain circumstances, we may be able to agree a fixed fee for the work.
For some types of work, members of chambers may be willing to accept work under a Conditional Fee Agreement.
If you wish to obtain a quotation, please contact the clerking team by telephone on 020 7643 5000 or by email at clerks@hailshamchambers.com
Chambers aims to provide exemplary standards of work and service and we welcome feedback on any aspect of your dealings with us. We hope the situation will never arise, but if you feel something has gone wrong and you wish to make a complaint, please read our complaints policy or call our senior clerk Stephen Smith on 020 7643 5000, who would be happy to discuss the matter with you and advise you on how to proceed.
If you are unhappy with the final response to your complaint, or if it has not been dealt with within 8 weeks, you have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO).
If you wish to complain to the Legal Ombudsman you must do so either within six years of your barrister’s actions/failure to act, or no later than three years after you should reasonably have known there were grounds to complain. You must also complain to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving your barrister’s final response to your complaint.
The LeO can generally be used by individuals, small businesses, and charities. For a full list of parties who may use the Ombudsman’s services, please click here.
You can write to the Legal Ombudsman at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0300 555 03333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
More information about the Legal Ombudsman is available on their website.
The Ombudsman holds the decision data about legal professionals, which can be found here.
The Bar Standards Board also records which barristers hold a current practising certificate and whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings against them. You can search for this information on the Bar Standards Board’s website.
Direct Public Access allows members of the public to seek help directly from a barrister without having to involve a solicitor.
A Direct Public Access barrister can provide a range of services including:
There are limits on the types of work that a Direct Public Access barrister can accept, in which case members of the public would need to instruct a solicitor before a barrister.
Direct Public Access barristers will have been trained and authorised by the Bar Council and therefore not all barristers are able to accept Public Access work. Hailsham Chambers is able to offer Direct Public Access barristers who are expert in Commercial Law, Professional Negligence and Costs.
Pricing
Hailsham accepts Public Access instructions on a privately funded basis. Our policy is to take payment, either by bank transfer or cheque in advance of our barristers undertaking any work. The cost of instructing a barrister at Hailsham Chambers will depend on the complexity of the case, the seniority of counsel, the amount of work involved, and the urgency of the work. A quote will be provided which will either be based on an hourly rate or a fixed fee basis, plus VAT, depending on what is most appropriate for the case and is most cost effective. Our Direct Public Access clerk, Stuart Paley, is here to help you navigate the process and will explain the implications of instructing a barrister privately, and the likely costs you will incur. He will also provide you with information about the likely key stages and timescales involved.
If you instruct a barrister at Hailsham Chambers on an hourly rate basis, then the rate that will be charged for your case will be agreed with you in advance.
Our indicative hourly rates are as follows:
Barristers of 5 - 10 years of experience: £200 to £250 plus VAT
Barristers of 10 - 15 years of experience: £250 to £400 plus VAT
Barristers of 15+ years of experience: £400 to £750 plus VAT
In the absence of unusual circumstances, the costs of instructing a barrister at Hailsham Chambers will be limited to either the amount of the fixed fee agreed for the piece of work, or will be covered by the fees charged at an hourly rate.
No additional costs will be incurred without your prior approval.
Key Stages in instructing a Direct Public Access Barrister
Step 1. Submit an enquiry via clerks@hailshamchambers.com, marked for the attention of Stuart Paley, our Direct Public Access designated Clerk with as much information as possible about your case. He will use this to note any deadlines, estimate costs and to identify the best Direct Access Barrister for you.
Step 2. After carefully reviewing your email, Stuart or a colleague will get in touch to confirm whether we have a Direct Access barrister who is available within the timescale required and has the relevant skills and experience to take on your case. This will happen within 7 days. Stuart will then explain the process in more detail.
In some cases, you will have a preliminary meeting or phone call with one of our barristers at this stage. The purpose of this phone call is to understand more about your case and for them to assess whether direct instruction is appropriate.
Step 3. Once terms have been agreed in principle and a barrister assigned, you will be sent a ‘client care letter’ within 48 hours. This sets out in detail the work you have requested, what that specific barrister will be able to do and the fee/cost for this work.
This must be paid in full before the Direct Access Barrister is permitted to start any work.
Step 4. If you want to go ahead, please return the signed letter along with a copy of your ID (Passport, Driving Licence and Proof of Address) and arrange payment as set out in our terms of business. Work can then can start immediately.
If you would like an informal chat about how Hailsham may be able to help including a discussion of possible costs please do not hesitate to contact Stuart on 0207 543 5000.
If you would like more information about public access, please see the Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients provided by the Bar Standards Board.
Our members who accept Direct Public Access instructions:
Simon Wilton
Dan Stacey
Joshua Munro
Imran Benson
Henry Bankes-Jones
Alicia Tew
