Tag: barristers

Instructing a direct access barrister when facing a drink driving charge

Facing a charge of drink driving is always a stressful time. The majority of those that face this charge will never have dealt with police before, let alone faced a Magistrates’ Court appearance. A conviction can change your life, so it is vital that you make the right moves when choosing someone to represent you.

Solicitor or Barrister?

The main differentiator between a solicitor and a barrister is that a solicitor is a more general lawyer with the qualifications and skills to deal with all manner of legal work. They do not specialise in any one type of advocacy, but have authorisation to appear in the lower courts. Barristers, on the other hand, are specialist advocates with the training to appear in Crown and High Courts. They are able to appear in all types of court.

Nowadays, direct access barristers are available to the public. Traditionally, there was no way to instruct a barrister yourself; you had to do so via a solicitor. Now, you can contact a barrister directly to have them take on your drink driving case and give them your instructions. This will allow you to have a conference with the barrister before your hearing, as well as for the hearing itself.

Some barristers even have the authorisation to conduct litigation, meaning they can deal with the entire drink driving case for you in addition to the court appearances. Your barrister will attend the court hearing with you if it doesn’t clash with another court case, but if they can’t they will appoint a suitable substitute.

Choosing the right barrister

The best starting point is recommendations. Friends, family or work colleagues may have had a good experience with a solicitor or barrister, and if that person can’t take on your case directly they can usually recommend someone good who will.

An online search, such as on Barristers4U, will help you to find direct access barristers who have a history and specialism in drink driving cases.

When you find a barrister you think would be good, you can contact them. Barristers4U offers free, no-obligation quotes, where you can find out how a barrister will help you and what their experience is in dealing with drink driving charges.

Why instruct a criminal barrister over a solicitor?

If you are facing serious allegations, including those of sexual assault, serious road traffic offences, fraud or other white collar offences, a direct access barrister might be the solution you are looking for. Normally, barristers may only be instructed by solicitors; however, direct access barristers allow you to instruct them directly, saving you time and money whilst obtaining a premium service. But how exactly could a direct access barrister help you? This post looks at some of the ways in which one of our direct access barristers could offer you a superior service to a regular lawyer.

Criminal law expert barristers

Many of our direct access barristers are criminal law and procedure experts. They have worked on some of the most complex criminal cases, and when the going gets tough, they are not afraid to fight for you. Instructing a direct access barrister over a solicitor will generally provide you with access to a professional with more experience in the courtroom and greater understanding of the case law which might help win your case.

Strategy

Criminal barristers will begin working on your case from the outset, aiming to understand as much about the circumstances surrounding the case as possible. Your barrister will then develop a high-level strategy to ensure every avenue is explored, taking advantage of every opportunity to get you the results you need. When it comes to serious criminal cases, drafting an excellent defence statement is crucial. Only a specialised criminal barrister will understand the intricacies involved in ensuring your statement works in your favour.

Insight

As a criminal barrister is specialist and experienced, they will have a full understanding of what is required in the courtroom to win your case. This includes niche case knowledge, specialist evidence requirements, and even how best to present your specific circumstances. This will include making a robust statement of mitigating circumstances and any exceptional hardship you might experience as a result of a custodial sentence.

Why choose a criminal barrister over a criminal lawyer?

Your reputation and your liberty are important to you and your family. It is essential you get the best strategy, advice and representation you can. Amongst our directory of barristers are some the most experienced criminal law case experts, determined to help each and every one of their clients keep their licence. Don’t just instruct any legal professional, get in touch to find out how we can help get you the best.

Protecting your assets with divorce barristers

When a couple divorce, it’s often a stressful and upsetting time. It can be made more difficult, however, if one party attempts to claim an unfair share of the matrimonial property. Unfortunately, this is often the case and, as a result, it’s important to have legal representation during divorce proceedings.

By accessing help from divorce barristers, you can ensure that you reach an appropriate settlement and that you obtain the assets and/or funds that you’re entitled to.

Selling the matrimonial home

Although one or both parties may be keen to keep possession of their home, this isn’t always possible. Once the property has been divided, it will be down to one party to try and buy the other out, if they’re able to do so.

If you’re awarded 50% of the property, for example, you should be able to stay in the home if you’re able to purchase the remaining 50% from your ex-partner. Clearly, if you’re awarded a higher percentage of the property, it should be easier for you to find the funds to buy the rest of the property.

It’s vital, therefore, that you have expert advice and assistance when you’re going through a divorce or separation. The financial arrangements which are made during this process are likely to have a significant impact on your future and you’ll need someone who can represent you appropriately.

Why should you use divorce barristers?

With limited Legal Aid available, divorce can be a costly process. Rather than using a solicitor to begin the process and then involving a barrister at a later date, you may be better off contacting public access barristers directly.

By doing so, you can access the legal help you need and reduce costs in the process. Direct access barristers ensure that they’re available to speak with clients directly so you can find out more about your legal rights and your options before you begin taking action.

Whilst no-one enjoys the process of divorce, it’s important to finalise the end of your marriage with legal assistance, or you could risk missing out on the assets you’re entitled to. To find out more contact divorce barristers today.

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Property damage and how we can help you

Damage to property can be quite stressful for any landlord, tenant or lettings agent to deal with. It can cost you valuable time and money to get your property back in good condition. Landlords in particular are at risk because damage to your property can lower its value and reduce how marketable your property will be in the open market.

Common causes of property damage

Poor building works

Not all building works go to plan. Sometimes a builder you have asked to carry out some work on your property may carry out the work in a negligent manner, causing damage to the rest of your building. They may also use products like pipes that leak and cause water damage. Often you may need to hire another builder or tradesman to repair the damage, which leads to more costs.

Subsidence

Most homeowners and tenants do not realise their property is subsiding until they start to see visible cracks on the walls. Properties in areas with a lot of vegetation and clay soils are prone to subsidence as untamed tree roots encroach underneath the foundations causing the walls to crack.

Flood and fire damage

Floods and fires are a key risk for property owners. Flooding in the UK, especially during periods of high rainfall, has meant that a number of properties have been damaged by floods while the risk of a fire erupting is one that is present all year round.

Vandalism and impact damage

Tenants or any other person can vandalise your property. Properties can also suffer impact damage which can happen, for example, when a vehicle drives into the property (this happens surprisingly often).

How barristers can help

Barristers can help you by:

• Considering your case and advising you on the best legal and commercial options to rectify your property

• Identifying who is at fault for the damage to your property

• Recovering the cost of repairs

• Advising on the legal options available to you to protect your property against any losses in the event of any unavoidable future damage

Contact our team of expert property barristers today to discuss your options.

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Who is cheaper – a barrister or a solicitor?

Whether you’re looking to clear up a construction issue, a family dispute or looking for someone to handle your divorce, a lot of the time the primary consideration is cost. The legal system can be notoriously expensive, especially if your case involves a lot of work and a lot of hours. That’s why it makes sense to seek out the most cost-effective solution to your problem, but which solution is cheaper, a solicitor firm or direct access barristers?

What’s the difference?

The first thing to remember is that barristers and solicitors are both lawyers, but they are different types of lawyer thanks to their training and expertise. In England and Wales, the legal system is ‘split’, meaning there is a division of labour between solicitors and lawyers.

One key difference is that solicitors are not self-employed whereas barristers are. That means a barrister is not permitted to form a company or a partnership. Instead they are sole traders, and thanks to changes in the regulations over the past decade, public access barristers with all sorts of legal expertise are available to hire by the public directly. Using a barrister means clients will have access to a specialist in a particular area of law. Whilst it’s true that solicitors sometimes do specialise in a certain area, primarily they are litigators. This involves conducting meetings with the client, working out a case, carrying out communications with the solicitors on the other side as well as sorting out any paperwork.

Barristers spend more time in court than solicitors and are the ones who deal with witnesses as well as give evidence to the judge. Whereas it’s still commonplace for a solicitor to come to court in order to support a barrister, either by having files to support a barrister’s case or by taking notes, more and more barristers are attending court without the aid of a solicitor. This is because it’s more cost-effective for the client.

Why are barristers more cost-effective?

A barrister is usually the most cost-effective way of going through the legal system because they are paid by their work. A solicitor meanwhile will charge by the hour. When you pay a barrister, you are only paying for what you need, such as their expertise and time. With a solicitor, however, you’re paying additional costs which contribute towards the running of a solicitor’s office.

It’s highly likely that the most cost-effective solution to your legal problem is direct access barristers. In order to receive quotes from highly qualified barristers who will specialise in the area of law you need help in, enter your details at Barristers4u. Remember, getting a quote is completely free and you only pay once the barrister has been directly instructed by you.

How direct public access helps you

Historically, the public could only access barristers through a solicitor. It was the solicitor who would have to instruct a barrister to represent their client, meaning the public were unable to gain potentially crucial advice from a legal expert. Recognising this problem, regulators decided to make a series of sweeping changes in 2009 and promptly changed the regulations in order to allow direct access barristers. Ever since, members of the public have been able to go to a barrister directly, which has a range of advantages, not least a potential saving of hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Barristers operate as specialist advisers as well as advocates. The direct public access scheme makes public access barristers a possibility, meaning members of the public are fully entitled to deal directly with their barrister, cutting out the need to spend money on instructing a solicitor at the same time.

How direct public access helps

Direct public access allows you to take responsibility, should you wish, for all of the preliminary work yourself. That work may traditionally have been undertaken by a solicitor, so there are huge potential savings on offer should you wish to contact a barrister directly.

It also allows you to control the costs yourself. As standard, you will get a breakdown of the costs for every element of your case. This will be in the form of a contract between the barrister and yourself, meaning there is no possibility of you being charged for more than what has previously been agreed.

With a direct access barrister, you will be getting a specialist in your type of case. Whether it’s social media defamation, sexual harassment, a construction dispute, family law or another matter entirely, direct access allows you to go straight to an expert. That means you’ll get impartial and honest advice over how best to take your case forward. Due to the fact barristers will have undergone years of study in their specialist field, they will be able to quickly identify all the salient features of your problem and give you the specialist advice you need.

To instruct a direct access barrister to handle your case, obtain a free, no obligation quote from Barristers4u today.

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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?

The Barrister / Solicitor Choice

Many may think barristers and solicitors are almost identical, but it can be said they are far from it. They are qualified legal professionals, who provide support and advice to their clients. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences that can change the circumstances to choose a “type” of lawyer.

Usually, many would ask their local solicitor for legal advice. They are fairly more convenient for them to approach, and are more accessible. Solicitors amount to 181,347 in the UK, compared to the number of barristers totalling to roughly 18,000. Solicitors tend to be everywhere, from your local high street to the corporate city buildings, as there is a demand for their services.

All barristers with practising certificates may work as self-employed, employed or as a dual practitioner. The majority are self-employed and tend to work alone; solicitors can work for different organisations including: commercial or non-commercial law firms, governments, banks and corporations. Both are incredibly important, tackling a wide variety of issues, but they can be argued as “different”.

A solicitor can represent in court, but they usually refer a barrister. Additionally, they would charge a referral fee towards the client. The rules have now changed, as until recently, it was compulsory for clients with a legal dispute to go to a solicitor first. The solicitor would traditionally deal with the preparation of the case, and they would instruct a barrister to represent the client at the hearing. Now, under the Public Access Scheme, individuals can remove the solicitor and go directly to a barrister to represent the client at the hearing. This would be beneficial, as the client would have to deal with only one lawyer, and get their full attention for the case strategy.  Those who had access to Legal Aid were not able to get Public Access; new rules have now widened the scheme if certain conditions are met.

There is a push for barristers to be more accessible to the general public. Many may not know about the recent changes, and Barristers4U provides a clear approach saving huge sums of money for the client.