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. 

Alternative Business Structures – ABS

The introduction of alternative business structures is intended to promote “innovation”, and “diversity” in the provision of legal services. A quarter of all legal service providers have introduced a new improved service in the last three years or under an ABS have emerged to offer additional added value services and include other professional service providers such as accountants.

Whilst many legal service providers choose to innovate innovate and offer new services many Barrister’s chambers have chosen to offer their services directly through the public access scheme and continue to innovate around this offering and acknowledge the need for a more “client focussed” approach.

Direct Access Portal

The direct access portal run in association with the Bar Council, the professional body representing barristers allows businesses and individuals the  access  to a register to find a barrister, mediator or arbitrator. Not all barristers are listed, only those who choose to undertake public access work, and they are restricted to what they can do. The direct access portal was designed to make it easier for the general public to access specialist barristers with effective legal representation. It should hopefully provide a point of access, and hopefully break down the  barriers for certain individuals, small and medium sized businesses to instruct barristers directly

Social Media

In Brief, “Direct Access” barristers can represent clients in court and tribunals, they provide specialist legal advice. Many barristers are aware of the benefits of social media and it is now common place for many of them to be using social media platforms to provide legal updates or free information. The changes in technology will continue to drive the process of change and are slowly redefining the mentality of barristers who are slowing tapping into new markets in this way. With the tech environment ever changing, the legal profession will have to keep up, especially with the changes in technology.

Barristers4u

One innovative company, which are making ground breaking headlines, is Barristers4U. They have 1,000 accredited barristers throughout England and Wales and seek to provide clients who have a legal dispute with a wider choice of legal adviser, saving them valuable time and effort in searching and of course cost.

Overall, the wider use of technology to assist clients to search for a solution and legal adviser is on the increase and those able to to deliver in innovative ways will provide  a positive route for all involved.