Direct Access Barristers Chichester
Public Access counsel for the Chichester Combined Court Centre, the Family Court at Worthing and tribunals across West Sussex. Fixed fees, agreed in writing, instructed directly.
Chichester is the senior civil and criminal court centre for the West Sussex coast. The catchment runs from Bognor Regis and Selsey through Arundel and up into the Downs around Midhurst and Petworth. Family work for the area is generally listed at the Family Court at Worthing, but the bulk of the local civil and crime workload is heard at Southgate.
Clerk&Counsel is a clerking agency, not a chambers. We place independent, BSB-regulated Public Access counsel for clients across West Sussex. Because we are not tied to a single set, we can match the right barrister to the brief on fit, availability and fee.
Most Chichester instructions are confirmed inside 24 to 72 hours. For urgent work — an injunction, a listed FDR at Worthing, a possession hearing with a fixed date — counsel can usually be engaged within the day.
Send a short brief. A clerk will come back with shortlisted, available counsel and indicative fees within 24–72 hours.
Send a brief →Direct access work routinely handled across Chichester, the West Sussex coast and the South Downs.
Divorce and financial remedy
FDRs, final hearings, pension sharing and Schedule 1 work at the Family Court at Worthing.
Child arrangements
Section 8 applications, prohibited steps, fact-find hearings and relocation cases for clients across the West Sussex coast.
Possession and landlord and tenant
Section 8 and Section 21 possession, disrepair counterclaims and Housing Act work for West Sussex landlords and tenants.
Agricultural and rural property
Boundary, easement and agricultural tenancy disputes across the South Downs and the West Sussex hinterland.
Inheritance and contested probate
1975 Act claims, executor disputes and proprietary estoppel across the West Sussex coast.
Commercial and contract disputes
Contract, partnership and shareholder work for Chichester and coastal SMEs, with London for heavier Business and Property Court matters.
Where Chichester direct access matters are heard.
The Chichester Combined Court Centre at Southgate, Chichester, PO19 1SX houses the County and Crown Court at Chichester. It is the principal civil and criminal venue for the West Sussex coast and the Downs.
Family work for the catchment is generally listed at the Family Court at Worthing on Christchurch Road, BN11 1JD. Counsel are placed at the venue that fits the case rather than the convenience of any one chambers.
Heavier civil and chancery work — and any High Court matter — is generally routed to the Royal Courts of Justice and the Business and Property Courts in London. Tribunal work for Chichester clients usually goes to the Brighton Employment Tribunal hearing centre.
A cost-effective route for Chichester clients.
West Sussex clients usually want two things from us: senior court advocacy and a fee they can plan for. Direct access delivers both. You instruct the barrister, on a fixed fee, for a defined piece of work — there is no solicitor's hourly file running underneath the brief fee.
It is a particularly strong fit for the coastal community of landlords and owner-managed businesses, retired clients with inheritance issues, rural property and agricultural disputes across the Downs, and family clients who already understand their case and want senior advocacy at the hearing.
Where the matter genuinely needs a solicitor — heavy disclosure, multi-party litigation or regulatory work — the clerks will tell you so up front and, if it helps, introduce you to a West Sussex firm to lead the file with counsel kept in reserve.
From brief to barrister in 24–72 hours.
Send a brief
A short description of your matter, any key documents and the deadline you are working to.
Clerk shortlists counsel
We identify Public Access-qualified barristers with the right expertise, confirm availability and fixed fees.
Client care letter
BSB-compliant client care letter sets scope, fee and timetable in writing for your signature.
Counsel begins work
Work starts as soon as the letter is signed and fees are received. You deal with the barrister directly.
Fixed fees for Chichester instructions,
agreed in writing.
Every direct access instruction in Chichester starts with a written client care letter setting out the scope of work, the fee and the timetable. You know what you are paying before any work begins — no hourly meter, no surprise.
Indicative ranges only, plus VAT. Actual fee depends on counsel, seniority, complexity and timetable.
The main differences at a glance.
Direct access (Public Access) lets you instruct a barrister without a solicitor in the middle. The traditional model uses a solicitor to manage the file and instruct counsel. Both are regulated and both have their place. The table below sets out the practical differences for a typical private client matter.
| Direct access barrister | Solicitor instructed barrister | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you instruct | The barrister directly, through the clerks. | A solicitor, who then instructs a barrister on your behalf. |
| Professionals you pay | One: the barrister. | Two: the solicitor and the barrister. |
| Fee structure | Fixed fee, agreed in writing before any work begins. | Solicitor on hourly rates, barrister on brief fee. Costs build over time. |
| Typical overall cost | Lower. One specialist, one fee per piece of work. | Higher. Two firms, two sets of overheads, hourly billing on the file. |
| Time to instruct | 24 to 72 hours from brief to client care letter. | One to three weeks for file opening, AML checks and counsel selection. |
| Who runs the file day to day | You do, as litigant in person. The barrister advises and represents. | The solicitor manages the file, correspondence and court filings. |
| Court filings and correspondence | You file documents and deal with the court office. Counsel tells you what to file and when. | The solicitor files documents and corresponds with the court and other side. |
| Advice, drafting and advocacy | Done by the barrister you instruct. | Drafting often shared between solicitor and barrister. Advocacy by counsel. |
| Best suited to | Defined pieces of work: advice, drafting, hearings, negotiation. | Heavy disclosure, safeguarding, complex multi party litigation and ongoing case management. |
| Regulation | Bar Standards Board. Counsel carries professional indemnity insurance. | Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board. |
If the case is unsuitable for direct access, for example public law children work or matters needing heavy ongoing case management, the clerks will say so up front and point you to a solicitor.
Questions Chichester clients ask.
Can I instruct a Chichester barrister without a solicitor?
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Yes. Public Access is a regulated route under the Bar Standards Board. A qualified barrister can take instructions directly from a member of the public, a landlord, a business or an in-house team — there is no obligation to engage a solicitor first.
What does direct access cost in Chichester?
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Indicative ranges for West Sussex work: £450 to £900 for written advice, £750 to £2,500 for drafting, and £1,200 to £3,500 for a full-day hearing at Chichester or Worthing. The fee is fixed in writing in the BSB client care letter before any work begins.
Which courts do your Chichester direct access barristers cover?
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The Chichester Combined Court Centre at Southgate houses the County and Crown Court. Family work for the area is generally listed at the Family Court at Worthing on Christchurch Road. Counsel travel to Brighton and Portsmouth where the case calls for it.
How quickly can counsel be in place?
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Urgent work — injunctions, listed FDRs, possession hearings already in the diary — can usually be engaged within 24 hours. For drafting or written advice, the BSB client care letter is typically issued inside 48 to 72 hours.
Do you cover Bognor Regis, Selsey, Midhurst, Petworth and Arundel?
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Yes. Chichester-based counsel routinely appear across the West Sussex coast and the Downs — Bognor Regis, Selsey, Midhurst, Petworth, Arundel and out to Pulborough and Storrington.
Is direct access sensible for a divorce or financial remedy on the West Sussex coast?
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For most cases, yes. Public Access is well established at the Family Court at Worthing for FDRs, final hearings, child arrangements and Schedule 1 work. It works less well where you need someone running correspondence with the other side day-to-day.
What about agricultural, rural property and inheritance work?
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The Chichester catchment generates a steady flow of boundary, easement, agricultural tenancy, contested probate and 1975 Act work. Direct access is well suited to senior counsel giving the advice, drafting the case and running the hearing on this kind of matter.
Are your Chichester Public Access barristers regulated and insured?
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Yes. Every barrister we place holds a current BSB practising certificate, has completed Public Access training and carries professional indemnity insurance through the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund.
Other locations we cover.
Family law, Chichester
Direct access counsel for divorce, financial remedy and Children Act work at the Family Court at Worthing.
Read more →Portsmouth
Public Access counsel for the Portsmouth Combined Court Centre and the eastern Solent.
Read more →Brighton
Public Access counsel for the Brighton County and Family Court and East Sussex tribunals.
Read more →