Public Access barristers in Bristol.
Instruct a Public Access barrister in Bristol directly, without a solicitor, for advice, drafting and advocacy at the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre and across the South West.
Bristol is the principal legal centre for the South West, with a Civil and Family Justice Centre, specialist Business and Property Courts and a strong local Bar. It serves a wide region from Gloucestershire to Somerset and Wiltshire.
Our Bristol Public Access clients include business owners in contract and commercial disputes, families in financial remedy and children proceedings, homeowners and landowners in property disputes, and families dealing with contested estates.
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 Bristol 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 Bristol Public Access cases are heard.
The Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre at 2 Redcliff Street houses the County Court at Bristol, the Family Court at Bristol and the Business and Property Courts in Bristol. Bristol Crown Court sits on Small Street.
Employment Tribunal hearings take place at Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre, and property tribunal matters go to the Property Chamber Southern region. Public Access counsel also cover Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, Taunton and Swindon.
What Bristol clients instruct Public Access counsel for.
- Commercial and contract disputes for South West businesses.
- Financial remedy and child arrangements proceedings.
- Boundary, rights of way and rural property disputes.
- Probate and Inheritance Act claims.
- Employment Tribunal advocacy.
- Landlord and tenant and possession 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 Bristol, 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.
Tell us about your Bristol 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 Bristol?
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 Bristol and the South West and the Western Circuit, without a solicitor acting in between.
How much does a Public Access barrister cost in Bristol?
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 Bath, Somerset and Gloucestershire?
Yes. We place Public Access counsel for matters across the South West including Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Gloucester and Swindon, choosing counsel by venue and case type.
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.