Public Access barristers in Birmingham.
Instruct a Public Access barrister in Birmingham directly, without a solicitor, for advice, drafting and advocacy at the Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre and across the Midland Circuit.
Birmingham is the principal court centre for the Midlands, with a large Civil and Family Justice Centre, specialist Business and Property Courts and a busy Crown Court. It serves a region of several million people and a strong base of family owned businesses.
Our Birmingham Public Access clients include business owners in commercial and partnership disputes, families in financial remedy proceedings, property owners in co-ownership and boundary disputes, and employees and employers facing tribunal claims.
Clerk&Counsel is an intermediary and clerking service. We do not provide legal advice or legal representation ourselves. We identify independent Public Access barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board who have the right expertise for your Birmingham matter, confirm their availability and bring you a clear fee before anything is agreed. The barrister you choose is responsible for the legal services they provide.
Where Birmingham Public Access cases are heard.
The Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre at Priory Courts, Bull Street, houses the County Court at Birmingham, the Family Court at Birmingham and the Business and Property Courts in Birmingham. Birmingham Crown Court sits at Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts on Newton Street.
Employment Tribunal claims are heard at Centre City Tower, and Midlands property tribunal work goes to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Midlands region. Public Access counsel also appear regularly at Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coventry and Solihull.
What Birmingham clients instruct Public Access counsel for.
- Commercial and partnership disputes for Midlands businesses.
- Financial remedy and children cases at the Family Court at Birmingham.
- Property, TOLATA and possession claims.
- Employment Tribunal advocacy.
- Probate and Inheritance Act claims.
- Debt recovery and contract claims.
How the Public Access scheme works in practice.
Since 2004 barristers who complete the Bar Standards Board's Public Access training have been able to accept work directly from members of the public. The barrister can give written or oral advice, draft letters, statements of case, witness statements and skeleton arguments, negotiate with the other side and represent you at hearings, mediations and trials.
Most Public Access barristers cannot conduct litigation, so you handle the administrative steps of issuing, filing and serving documents yourself, with clear instructions from counsel. Barristers also cannot hold client money, so fees are paid directly to the barrister or chambers under a written client care letter.
Before accepting your case the barrister must consider whether it is in your interests, and the interests of justice, to proceed without a solicitor. If the case genuinely needs one, for heavy disclosure or many witnesses, they will say so at the outset.
From enquiry to barrister, usually within days.
Send us a short outline of the problem, any hearing date or deadline and the key documents. We shortlist suitable counsel for Birmingham, confirm availability and obtain a fee for the specific work you need. The barrister then carries out a suitability and conflict check and sends a client care letter setting out scope, fee and timing.
For urgent work such as injunctions or a hearing listed at short notice, counsel can often be identified within 24 hours. Non urgent advice usually follows a signed client care letter within two to three working days.
Fixed fees, agreed before work starts.
Public Access fees are normally fixed per task. A day of court attendance by experienced counsel in most civil and family matters starts from around £1,000, with longer hearings quoted as a brief fee plus refreshers. Because you pay one professional rather than a solicitor and a barrister, the overall cost is often substantially lower.
Clerk&Counsel's service fee of up to £150 depending on urgency is shown separately from the barrister's professional fee before you decide. There is no charge to make an enquiry.
Specialist areas within this practice.
- Public Access barristers
How the scheme works across England and Wales.
- Direct access barristers Birmingham
Our wider Birmingham guide to instructing counsel directly.
- Public Access barristers London
Counsel for the RCJ, Rolls Building and London courts.
- Public Access barristers Bristol
Counsel for Bristol and the South West.
Tell us about your Birmingham matter.
Send a short outline and any hearing dates. We will come back with Public Access counsel options and a clear fee.
Common questions.
What is a Public Access barrister in Birmingham?
A Public Access barrister is a self employed barrister who has completed the Bar Standards Board Public Access training and can take instructions directly from individuals and businesses in Birmingham and the West Midlands, without a solicitor acting in between.
How much does a Public Access barrister cost in Birmingham?
Written advice and drafting are quoted as fixed fees against the papers. A day of court attendance by experienced counsel in most civil and family matters starts from around £1,000. Every fee is set out in a client care letter before any work starts.
Do you cover the wider West Midlands as well as Birmingham?
Yes. We place Public Access counsel for matters in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Coventry, Solihull and across the Midland Circuit, choosing counsel based on the venue and the type of case rather than just the city of chambers.
Will I still need to file documents myself?
Usually yes. Most Public Access barristers are not authorised to conduct litigation, so you remain a litigant in person for issuing, filing and serving documents. The barrister tells you exactly what to file and when, and drafts the documents for you.
Does Clerk&Counsel charge me to make an enquiry?
No. Enquiries are free. If you instruct a barrister through us, a Clerk&Counsel service fee of up to £150 depending on urgency applies, shown separately from the barrister's professional fee before you decide.