Category: Mediator

How has the recent changes to provision of legal services affected your purchase of legal services?

Accessing a lawyer or any kind of legal aid is, for many of us, a scary decision. These are the people that know The Rules. You know the ones, The Rules to living life which we are all overly cautious to avoid breaking. Sure, maybe we’ve broken one or two minor ones accidentally—just a few miles per hour over the speed limit when we’re stressed from a long day at work, or perhaps left the store having forgotten to pay for a chocolate bar, only to realise once you’re at home—but as a society in general most of Britain are rather nervous when approaching someone ‘of the law’.

Another factor preventing many people from accessing the legal aid that they deserve, is the cost. Solicitors rarely represent a client in court, so they need to hire out a Barrister to represent you, at extra cost to yourself. Between the solicitor, court fees, Barrister fees, a court case could cost you thousands of pounds. Without knowing exactly how much you will spend, it is difficult for to decide the best way to handle your own claim.

There are so many of us that don’t know what we would be entitled to. Perhaps it’s all the going backwards and forwards between lawyers and judges, or maybe that we don’t understand the language of law, but whatever the reason is, the whole legal aid process is typically seen as a hassle which has a reputation to take months, or even years, to settle a dispute.

What if I told you, that has recently changed? That you can now access legal services from the comfort of your own home? What if there was a way to combat all three of these problems with one, easy to use, simple website? Barristers4U is an online Chamber company based in Cardiff which provides a range of Barristers, from motor to civil dispute, to businesses and the public. All it takes is one online form to be able to talk to a Barrister and obtain legal advice and service. The great thing about Barristers4u is that it cuts out the middle man – the solicitor – saving you time, hassle, and cost. The Barristers will provide you with an upfront quote for their services, meaning you don’t have to worry about extra costs building up; you know what you’re getting, and how much it will cost you. Barristers can charge less than solicitors as they have a smaller overhead fee, and they don’t need to charge for offices and administration.

Barristers4u are friendly and helpful, so you don’t have to worry if seeking legal advice is something you are nervous about. Once you’ve submitted your enquiry, a Barrister will be in touch to discuss your case with you. Your quote is free, with no obligation, and there are thousands of Barristers across England and Wales so you can compare quotes and services, meaning you are able to choose a Barrister which you believe is best suited to your needs. All the Barristers are accredited and regulated by the Bar Standards Board so you won’t lose out on quality or expertise. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Barristers4u puts you in the driver’s seat, so you can have your say on your case. They can even help you set up a video conference with your Barrister to ensure secure meetings wherever you are.

All too often, if we do create a case, we hand it over to the legal team, thinking they know better than us. In doing this, we don’t fully understand the decisions being made, and are more vulnerable to a cost that is much bigger than our budget. We may end up with a decision that we aren’t fully satisfied with, and the entire case is out of our hands. You are the most important person in your case, so imagine how empowering it would feel to be able to take control of your case despite having no legal experience. The direct access Barristers make that possible for you, listening to exactly what it is you want from your case and always making sure you are consulted in every decision.

Public access Barristers have been available since 2004, but this service wasn’t as readily available in Wales; Barristers4u are the first online direct access company to operate in Wales. This is completely reinventing the way we can obtain legal services; thanks to the internet and the public access Barristers, professional legal advice is just a click of a button away, like adding a carton of milk to your online basket. Just go to Barristers4u at anytime, anywhere, for free, no obligation quotes and find the best Barrister for you. 

Go straight to an expert for your land dispute

If you are a property owner, then chances are at some point you’ve had some level of involvement in a dispute concerning land boundaries, access, right of way or encroachment. Land disputes can become intensely personal and emotional, given that, more often than not, the other party is a neighbour or family member.

Or perhaps you are dealing with issues concerning the enjoyment of your own property and use of your own land.

If either scenario is applicable to you, you are strongly advised to seek legal advice from the outset.

Property disputes can range from the erecting of a fence by a neighbour that encroaches upon your land, to an issue concerning a right of way up a lane that accesses your property. These are all disputes which can be a drain on your valuable time, emotions and your wallet.

Property disputes are often bitterly, long fought-out disputes and can ultimately be costly too.
For that reason, property law matters need to be handled in a professional and knowledgeable manner. Instructing a Barrister from the outset can assist you greatly in achieving the best outcome or compensation available, given that Barristers are specially trained in negotiation and fully versed in any applicable principles of law.

Most of the legal principles involved in property disputes call for no less than an expert in property law. Barristers are highly trained individuals who have spent many years in study and training to reach the stage of being called to the Bar. In medical terms, they would be Consultants. Therefore, when you contact a Barrister in relation to your property dispute via Barristers4U, you can be assured that you’re getting an expert in that field. A Barrister who has attended to many such proceedings and who is technically sound on all aspects of the governing law.

It’s always advisable to seek out an expert to handle your property dispute. The complexities of the law involved and Court appearances mean that it is imperative you engage an expert of the highest calibre to assist. A Barrister is the most highly qualified legal representation available to the public, and it is always worth engaging him/her from the outset in order that they are fully up to speed on all details well in advance of any Court date.

Don’t forget that most property disputes don’t make it into Court and can usually be agreed outside the doors of the Courtroom. Instructing a Barrister from the outset can assist you greatly in achieving the best outcome or compensation available.

If you’ve recently had issues concerning your property, and are unsure of how to proceed in order to have such issues rectified and to receive the correct compensation, a Barrister will immediately steer the ship for you. Contact us today to find an expert in property as well as the art of negotiation, so you can get your dispute solved sooner rather than later.

When can civil dispute barristers help?

When a disagreement occurs between two individuals or an individual and an organisation, it’s often referred to as a civil dispute. Unlike criminal cases, a civil dispute doesn’t involve the police and there is no evidence of unlawful behaviour. Despite this, civil disputes can have a significant impact on the people affected.

Civil dispute barristers may assist on matters such as defamation, negligence, trespass and property claims. In addition to this, barristers who specialise in civil disputes may also advise on claims concerning intellectual property, probate or competition.

Due to the complexity of these claims, both claimants and defendants are likely to need expert legal assistance. Whether you want to bring a civil claim or need to defend one, it’s likely that you’ll need advice from a civil dispute barrister at some point.

Can you afford to access legal advice?

Even when people feel that they have been wronged, they can delay making a claim or launching a case. Often, potential claimants are worried about the cost of seeking legal advice and this can prevent them from taking action.

Although the legal system has implemented changes to make the process more accessible, many people still find it difficult to access cost-effective legal advice. Indeed, the cuts to Legal Aid mean that fewer and fewer people are able to seek legal help when they need to do so.

Fortunately, using a direct access barrister helps to cut costs and ensures that claimants and defendants can access help, as and when they need to.

When working with public access barristers, you can approach them yourself and discuss your situation with them. Instead of paying a solicitor and a barrister, you can simply instruct a direct access barrister to handle the matter on your behalf, if you choose to do so.

Working with a direct access barrister

Before you instruct any barrister to carry out work on your case, however, you’ll want to get an estimate of how much you’ll need to pay and what the likely outcome of the case is. With direct access barristers willing to provide a free quote, you’ll have all the information you need before you decide whether or not you want to move forward.

To learn more now, why not contact a public access barrister today?

Never Automatically Pay Your Parking Fines!

If you’ve ever received a car parking fine in a private car park you know how frustrating this feels and you wish there was something you could do about is. Well there is actually a few things you can do because most of these fines are often unenforceable.

If the ticket is from the police or local council always pay it. But if its from a private company never pay it automatically and always challenge it.

If you were doing any of the following then we recommend that you should immediately pay because these wouldn’t be valid reasons to content a parking fine;

  • I was going to get change.
  • Its on the dashboard with all my other parking tickets.
  • Only one wheel is out of the bay.
  • I only parked on the pavement because there was no other spaces.
  • I thought parking was free on bank holidays.
  • I paid straight after getting the ticket.
  • I parked in a bus stop and not the yellow line

If you have a different reason than the above reasons then you probably got grounds to content the parking fine. So you should always do the following in this situation.

Gather all evidence by immediately take photos, because a photo of your ticket on your windscreen when you’re only 5 minutes late is very unfair. Also take photos of any unclear signs or bay markings plus anything else that might be relevant.

Keep all correspondence from the private company and receipts for example like if your car had broken down and the garage repair bills. Not to mention any contact details of any witnesses.

There is no point arguing with the car parking attendant because it might only get you in more trouble. So simply just leave and then try to explain yourself with all the evidence in writing.

If you feel that you’re getting no where and the fine has risen then seek legal help by using a barrister. You can now go to a barrister direct for legal advice and we at Barristers 4U will provide you with a free no obligation quote to help you with your parking fine.

 

Do you need access to criminal barristers?

If you find yourself charged with a crime, you may need access to specialist legal help. Before being interviewed by the police, you should be offered the opportunity to liaise with a solicitor. Following this, however, you’ll need to arrange your own legal representation.

Although some people are able to access Legal Aid to help fund representation for criminal matters, a significant number of people don’t qualify for this type of assistance. Despite this, costly solicitor’s fees may mean that they’re unable to access the help they need.

Due to the seriousness of a criminal charge, it’s vital that you get the advice and representation you need if you’ve been accused of acting unlawfully. A criminal conviction could affect every part of your life so you’ll want to ensure that the matter is handled properly.

Using direct access barristers

Generally, people assume that you have to contact a solicitor before a barrister is instructed but this isn’t true at all. Using direct access barristers can enable you to access the legal expertise you require but can reduce the cost involved.

Rather than paying a solicitor and a barrister, for example, you can contact a criminal barrister directly and obtain the help you need. Whilst the CPS may have decided to prosecute you, a barrister could be able to help you get the charges dropped or reduced. Alternatively, if the matter goes to trial, a criminal barrister can defend you in court and will try to ensure you’re acquitted of all charges.

Getting legal advice before you go to court

Although any area of law can be complex, criminal law can be particularly complicated so it’s important to liaise with an experienced criminal barrister before attending court hearings. When working with a public access barrister, you can speak with him or her directly and determine how the situation will proceed.

You can even contact a range of direct access barristers to find out more about the help they can offer. In addition to this, a public access criminal barrister will be able to provide you with a quote before undertaking any work.

To access legal help today, why not get in touch with a direct access barrister?

When You’re Really Not Fired!

Alan Sugar on the Apprentice makes it easy to fire employees but in reality its never that simple. We all know people that let TV go to there head and try to fire employees in the same way as Alan Sugar does but this is ultimately unfair dismissal.

Your Employment Contract

First and foremost when you are employed everyone is given an employment contract which you must read and sign before you actually start working. Dismissal defined is when the employer terminates the contract of employment. In here contains the details of notice period aswell as accrued holidays, all of which change depending on length of service. The employment contract is a legal binding contract between employer and employee which is the first place to look when considering any employment dispute.

There must be a valid reason to dismiss an employee and you cannot just simply say “Your Fired!”. There isn’t actually a de facto standard / process to sacking someone and each case will be based on its own individual evidence. Human resource departments often found in large organisations are setup to ensure all employees are treated in a fair manner. In smaller organisations this is often left to an individual whose also has several other roles.

However its a legal obligation that all employers must treat all employees in a fair manner, no one is except from this. Upon a fair dismissal the employer should make it aware and present the facts to the employee of any performance or misconduct issues. If done rightly the employers should follow a consistent and fair approach. Dismissal might not always be the right recommendation based on the initial meeting because performance issues can be improved with training plans and misconduct issues can be fixed with the apology. Both of which depends on the employees attitude to correct the situation. But if the employer decides to dismiss the employee then there are several legal ways this can be done.

Ordinary Dismissal Claims

Most people a familiar with ordinary dismissal and covers both the employee and employer. Its when notice is given by the employee or employer to terminate the employment contract. The grounds for ordinary dismissal often include performance and misconduct. Meetings should be given before the dismissal and the employee give every chance to correct this before the dismissal is issued.

Summary/Immediate Dismissal Claims

In cases of serious and/or gross misconduct a summary / immediate dismissal can be implemented. No notice period has to be given here and will often be escorted out the building with all privileges taken away.

Constructive Dismissal Claims

This is where the employee resigns as a result of the employers poor conduct often including such behaviours as bullying or harassment. This often lead into a legal case where employment barristers can help you with legal advice and getting evidence together to potentially claim compensation for your constructive dismissal claim.

Wrongful Dismissal Claims

This is where the employer doesn’t follow the employment contract, most common cases are incorrect notice period. Often leading the wrongful dismissal claims where the employer can get their job back or even compensation.

Unfair Dismissal Claims

Unfair dismissal claims only applies to employees with 2 or more years service with the employer. Grounds for this are often around asserting a statutory right, trade union activities or even making a protected disclosure (ie whistleblowing).

Redundancy

Redundancy carries two strict legal meanings and applies to employers in the following;

  • stops carrying on the business for which a particular employee was employed, either completely or in the place where the employee works;
  • stops requiring employees or requires fewer employees to carry out work of a particular type, either at all or in the place where the employee works.

It is difficult to argue against redundancy but most redundancies come with a compensation package.

Help is at hand

At Barristers 4U our expert employment barristers provide legal advice and legal representation on your employer disputes, employment contracts, ordinary dismissal, summary dismissal, constructive dismissal, wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal and redundancies.

Its never a good experience going through any sort of dismissal but if you ever feel you’ve been treating unfair and unjust then speak to one of our legal representatives today to discuss your options with an employment barrister and even get a free no obligation quote.

Using A Barrister To Deal With Your Neighbour Issues And Disputes

Neighbours can fallout over many reasons such as excessive music, loud pets and/or boundary disputes. It can be emotionally draining and very expensive to take your neighbour to court so lets discuss today how else we can potentially deal with these neighbours.

Even neighbours you get on with could start a dispute at any time for example, if you decide to plant a tree in the garden that they know if the future might block their sunlight.

First and foremost you should always try explaining to your neighbour in a calm and polite manner of your point of view and how you can ensure it never becomes an issue. Until you point out the obvious your neighbour they might not know how petty they are being and you might find a resolution.

You should also be open minded and willing to find the best resolution for both of you. Never be demanding because nobody ever wants to be told what to do.

You should always do this face-to-face because there is nothing more under-miming than coming home to a letter or note from your neighbour moaning about the civil dispute. This will also avoid any mis-interpretation.

Always remember that your main aim is to resolve the issue and keep a good relationship between you and your neighbour. Because you never know how long you will have to live next to them for, so always keep this in mind.

Mediation

If you’ve tried several times with your neighbour and still cannot get any resolution then you could seek mediation from an unrelated third party.

You can setup a voluntary mediation session on neutral ground that you and your neighbour can attend. Because the mediator is impartial they will facilitate the discussion and take on board both sides of the story allowing both parties to clearly speak on their side of the matter. Always remember that a mediator isn’t a judge and cannot force anyone to do anything. They attempt to find resolution and make a recommendation that you can choose to either follow or ignore.

If the neighbour is a tenant you could also raise this issue with the landlord. Because the landlord is ultimately responsible for the tenant in his property.

If this is a noise dispute then you can complain to the local council. The local council will investigate and decide if there are any legal obligations here. If there are laws governing the dispute then the local council can issue notices. If this is ignored then penalties can be imposed forcing the neighbour to resolve the dispute.

If your neighbour is abusive or violent then you can report such anti-social behaviour immediately to the police. Any other anti-social behaviour e.g. discrimination can be reported to the local council to make a formal complaint.

Legal Action

Your last resort is always legal action and potentially court proceedings. This is also likely to ruin any long term relationship with your neighbour but will get the issue resolved. Because of changes in regulations you can now ask barristers directly for advice and then representation instead of solicitors.

So if you have no other choice, contact Barristers 4U today for expert legal advice to resolve your civil dispute today and get a free no obligation quote.