Door Tenant vs Clerking Agency
A door tenancy is the standard halfway house for a self-employed barrister who wants a chambers connection without the rent. A clerking agency is something different again. Here is what each one costs, what each one gives you, and how to decide which fits your practice.
Most self-employed barristers in England and Wales sit somewhere on a spectrum. At one end is full tenancy in a traditional set: a room, a desk, a clerks room downstairs, a percentage off the top of every fee. At the other end is the sole practitioner working from home with no chambers connection at all. In between sits the door tenancy, which has been around for decades, and the clerking agency, which is newer.
A door tenancy formalises your link to a set without putting you in the building. The clerks can take instructions on your behalf, you appear on the website, and the chambers address can be used for service. In return you pay a contribution, usually a single percentage of receipts, sometimes with a small fixed component. The range we see in practice is 8 to 15 per cent of gross fees, against 15 to 22 per cent for a full tenant who occupies a room.
A clerking agency does not put you on a chambers website and does not give you a chambers address. What it does is generate work and clerk it through to engagement and fee collection. You contract directly with the lay client or solicitor, issue your own client care letter, and invoice in your own name. We charge a single percentage on the fees we actually collect for you. There is no fixed monthly figure, no rent, and no minimum hours.
For more on how the model works in practice, read our barrister recruitment page or our overview of clerking services for barristers.
You stay self-employed. You contract with the client. We do the clerking and bring the work.
Apply to join →How the three options compare
Full tenant
15 to 22 per cent of gross receipts, often plus a fixed monthly contribution of £300 to £900.
A room, a desk, a clerks room, IT, library and conference facilities.
Eligible to take pupils and supervise. Voting member of chambers.
Application by interview and tenancy committee vote. Hardest to secure straight out of pupillage.
Door tenant
8 to 15 per cent of gross receipts, sometimes plus a small administrative fee.
No room. Use of the chambers address and website listing. Clerks can take work for you.
Limited or no voting rights. Usually cannot supervise pupils.
Easier to secure than full tenancy if you already have a profile or bring instructions in.
Clerking agency
A single percentage on collected fees only. No fixed monthly contribution. No rent.
No chambers address or room. You work from wherever suits you.
You remain fully self-employed and BSB regulated. Take pupils through any chambers you also belong to.
Onboarding takes days, not months. Compatible with an existing chambers arrangement.
How barristers actually choose
The barristers who keep a door tenancy alongside us tend to do so for two reasons. The first is the chambers email address on court documents, which still carries weight with some judges and listing officers. The second is access to specialist seminars and the chambers library. Neither of those reasons is about generating work, which is why they pair well with a clerking agency that does generate work.
The barristers who leave a door tenancy entirely tend to do so when the percentage stops adding up. If your door tenancy contribution is 12 per cent on £80,000 of receipts, that is £9,600 a year for a website listing and an email forwarder. If the chambers stops sending you instructions, the maths gets harder to justify.
The Bar Standards Board does not require any barrister to be in chambers. The Handbook permits sole practice and permits clerking arrangements with third parties. What matters is that you hold a current practising certificate, have BMIF cover and comply with the rules on client money, written client care and conflict.
Frequently asked questions
What is a door tenant?
A door tenant is a barrister who has a formal association with a set of chambers but does not occupy a room there. You are listed on the chambers website, the clerks can take work for you, and you use the chambers address for correspondence. You keep your practice elsewhere, whether that is at home, in another set, or fully remote.
How much do barristers pay chambers?
Full tenants typically pay 15 to 22 per cent of gross receipts in chambers contributions, sometimes split between a fixed monthly figure and a percentage on collected fees. Door tenants usually pay less, often 8 to 15 per cent, because they do not use a room. A clerking agency like ours charges a single percentage on collected fees only, with no fixed monthly contribution.
How do you become a door tenant?
You apply directly to the chambers you want to join, usually with a CV, a list of recent work, and references. The chambers committee or management board votes. Established door tenancies are easier to secure if you have a clear practice profile and bring some of your own instructions. Many sets only take door tenants who already have a working relationship with one of the silks or senior juniors.
Can a door tenant get pupils or be a pupil supervisor?
Generally no. The Bar Standards Board requires pupil supervisors to have a working relationship with the pupil that a door tenancy does not usually provide. Some chambers permit door tenants to act as second six supervisors in limited circumstances, but this is uncommon. If supervising pupils matters to you, full tenancy is the better route.
Is a clerking agency the same as chambers?
No. Clerk&Counsel is not chambers and is not a law firm. We are a clerking and lead generation service. We bring you direct access enquiries and solicitor referrals, you contract directly with the lay or professional client, and you remain regulated by the Bar Standards Board in the same way you would as a chambers tenant. We do not provide a room, a chambers address for court documents, or a junior clerk to attend hearings with you.
Can I be a door tenant at chambers and still take work through a clerking agency?
Yes, provided your chambers constitution allows external instructions. Most modern sets do, though some restrict the type of work you can take outside or require disclosure. Check the constitution and have an honest conversation with the senior clerk before signing up. We are happy to work alongside an existing chambers arrangement.
Considering the move?
Speak to a clerk before you decide. We can talk through what a typical month of instructions looks like in your practice area and how the numbers compare to your current arrangement.