No! The direct access barrister scheme allows you to go straight to a barrister. You can save money by avoiding the need to pass documents from one person to the next to get the work done. You simply give your barrister the documents and then they complete the work.

Direct access barristers are specialist advocates and advisers. If you have a court hearing, then instructing a direct access barrister will give you the ability to present your case in the best way possible. If you need advice or court papers to be written, then our specialist direct access barristers can do that, too. Quite often if you go to a solicitor for advice or for court documents to be written, then they'll recommend using a barrister anyway in order to benefit from that specialism. At least this way you only pay once for the work you really need.

Our barristers cover a wide range of civil, commercial, and family law.

Civil and commercial law includes things like contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, property and neighbour disputes and money claims.

Family law includes things like non-molestation orders, contact and residence (custody) disputes, divorce, and financial settlements following divorce.

All direct access barristers require payment before the work starts, and the booking for your barrister won't be confirmed until payment has been received and has cleared.

You can make payment by credit or debit card, or via bank transfer.

For pro bono work, your best place to enquire is Advocate, the pro bono charity of the Bar. They have the ability to find barristers who have agreed to work for free on deserving cases where the client cannot afford legal representation.