Barrister for a Family Court Hearing
Specialist direct access family counsel for FHDRA, DRA, FDR, fact finding and final hearings across England and Wales. The same barrister advises, drafts and stands up at every hearing, on a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Family hearings are rarely a single event. A financial remedy case will run through a First Appointment, an FDR and, only if settlement does not happen, a final hearing. A private children case usually starts with a FHDRA, then a DRA, then a fact finding or final hearing as the issues develop. Counsel instructed directly under the Public Access scheme can carry the file through every stage.
Clerk&Counsel is a clerking agency. We do not provide legal services ourselves. We place Public Access qualified family counsel from across the independent Bar, usually within twenty four to seventy two hours. Send a short brief through this form and a clerk will respond within one working day.
If your matter is specifically about money on divorce, see divorce barristers and direct access divorce. If it is about the children, see child arrangements barristers and direct access family law.
Send the latest order and the bundle index. A clerk will come back with available counsel and a fixed brief fee.
Send a brief →What we have learned placing family briefs
The FDR is the moment that decides most financial remedy cases. The judge gives an indication, the parties move toward each other and an order goes off. Cases that settle at FDR cost a fraction of cases that run to final hearing, both in fees and in stress. Specialist counsel briefed properly, with a clear position statement and a realistic settlement bracket, materially improves the chance of settlement.
In children work the equivalent moment is the FHDRA, with CAFCASS in the room and a judge looking for a workable interim arrangement. A measured position from counsel on day one shapes the next six months. We see the difference clearly between clients who arrive at FHDRA represented and clients who arrive alone with a printed off statement.
The bundle discipline matters more in family than anywhere else. The standard is one A4 lever arch, indexed, paginated and chronological, with a short skeleton from each side. A direct access client who arrives at counsel with a properly indexed bundle saves themselves four figures across the life of the case.
The honest counterpoint is that some family matters need a solicitor. Heavy disclosure in financial remedy cases involving trusts or offshore structures, public law children proceedings on legal aid, and any case requiring funds to be held in a regulated client account still belong with a solicitor. The clerks will say so candidly.
Hearings we cover
FHDRA and DRA
First and Dispute Resolution Appointments in private children proceedings.
FDR
Financial Dispute Resolution hearings with full position statements and settlement schedules.
Fact finding
Allegations of domestic abuse, coercive control and Re H findings.
Final hearings
Financial remedy and children final hearings in the Family Court at every tier.
Urgent applications
Prohibited steps, specific issue, non molestation and occupation orders.
Appeals
Appeals from the Family Court to a Circuit Judge or the High Court.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a barrister for my family court hearing without a solicitor?
Yes. Public Access counsel can be instructed directly for any hearing in the Family Court, from a FHDRA in private children proceedings to a final hearing in financial remedy. You remain the litigant on the record, but counsel drafts the statements, the position statements and any orders, and represents you at every attendance.
How much does a barrister cost for a family hearing?
For a one day FDR or contested FHDRA, brief fees usually fall between £1,500 and £3,500 plus VAT, with a daily refresher of around £1,000 to £1,500 for longer hearings. A short directions appointment can be agreed for £600 to £1,200. The fee always includes reading the bundle, preparing the position statement and conducting the hearing itself.
Can a barrister represent me at the final hearing?
Yes. The same Public Access counsel who advises and attends the directions hearings will, in almost every case, conduct the final hearing. Continuity is one of the reasons direct access works well in family work.
Will a direct access barrister go to FDR?
Yes, and the FDR is often where direct access pays for itself. A specialist financial remedy barrister with a clear position statement, prepared schedules and a realistic settlement bracket regularly settles cases at FDR that would otherwise drift to a contested final hearing.
Can I instruct counsel for a fact finding hearing?
Yes. Public Access counsel routinely conduct fact finding hearings in private children cases, including cross examination of the other parent where the court has directed it. Where the matter involves allegations of domestic abuse, the court will need to consider how cross examination is conducted under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 framework, and counsel will advise on that.
What about urgent applications?
Counsel can be instructed for urgent without notice or short notice applications including prohibited steps, specific issue and non molestation. Where the listing is in days rather than weeks, the clerks can usually identify available counsel within twenty four hours.
Does direct access work for cases involving the local authority?
Public law children proceedings are usually publicly funded, and legal aid in those cases must go through a solicitor. Direct access is therefore more commonly used in private law children matters and in financial remedy, although counsel can be privately instructed in public law if you prefer.
How do I instruct counsel for a family hearing?
Send the latest order, the bundle index, the asset schedule if it is financial remedy, and a short summary of the issues. A clerk will identify Public Access qualified family counsel, confirm availability for the hearing date and a fixed fee, and send the BSB client care letter for signature. The process usually takes one to three working days.
Family hearing coming up?
Send the latest order and the bundle index. A clerk will respond within one working day with available counsel and a fixed brief fee.
Send a brief →