Public Access barristers in Liverpool.
Instruct a Public Access barrister in Liverpool directly, without a solicitor, for advice, drafting and advocacy at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts and across Merseyside.
Liverpool has one of the oldest and most active local Bars in the country, with strong family, civil and criminal practices. Its courts serve Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales borders.
Our Liverpool Public Access clients include families in financial remedy and children cases, business owners in contract disputes, landlords and tenants, and families dealing with contested estates and Inheritance Act 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 Liverpool 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 Liverpool Public Access cases are heard.
The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts on Derby Square house the County Court at Liverpool, the Family Court at Liverpool and Liverpool Crown Court. The Business and Property Courts in Liverpool hear heavier chancery and commercial claims.
Employment Tribunal claims are heard at the Liverpool hearing centre, and property tribunal work goes to the Property Chamber Northern region. Public Access counsel also cover Birkenhead, St Helens, Chester and Warrington.
What Liverpool clients instruct Public Access counsel for.
- Financial remedy and children proceedings at the Family Court at Liverpool.
- Contract and debt claims for Merseyside businesses.
- Landlord and tenant and possession claims.
- Probate and Inheritance Act claims.
- Employment Tribunal advocacy.
- County Court appeals and applications.
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 Liverpool, 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 Liverpool 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 Liverpool?
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 Liverpool and Merseyside and the Northern Circuit, without a solicitor acting in between.
How much does a Public Access barrister cost in Liverpool?
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 Wirral and Cheshire?
Yes. Liverpool Public Access counsel regularly appear at Birkenhead, Chester, Warrington and St Helens. We place counsel according to where the case is listed.
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.