Client Care

Dere Street Barristers is committed to a modern, flexible and friendly approach providing our clients with the highest quality of service.

We welcome feedback on the quality of our legal services and our administration in order to monitor our quality standards and make improvements where necessary.

Instructing Us

We aim to make the process of instructing us simple, with a straight-forward, user-friendly approach designed to ensure that clients receive the standard of service they require. We understand the need to be flexible and to work together as a team to provide practical solutions. Our clerks will help our clients to find the barrister best suited to their needs.

Solicitors and other practising lawyers, as well as public access clients are invited to contact us for a quote for our barristers’ services.

Chambers provide a transparent fee structure. This can be discussed by contacting any member of our clerking team that is led by Head Clerk, Phil Paxton.

At the outset of accepting any instructions we will agree with the client the basis on which fees will be charged. Hourly rates for members of Chambers vary, and are available upon application. Our policy is to promote transparency at all times with regard to fee structures and on request we can construct estimates of the overall fees likely to be involved.

The clerks will discuss any aspect of Chambers’ procedure and fee charging in an effort to accommodate individual requirements. We are always willing to discuss individual requirements in advance. The clerks are sensitive to market forces, and maintain an open and flexible approach to fee structures.

Hourly rates

Each of our barristers has an hourly rate which takes account of the market rates in their area of practice and the barrister’s skills and experience.

The hourly rate for a particular case and a particular piece of work is agreed in advance. That rate will take account of the complexity of the case, the value of the case and any particular demands the case gives rise to. Rates for direct access work are generally a little higher because of the additional client care requirements involved.

Charges for paperwork and conferences are based on hourly rates. Time estimates for a piece of work can be given in advance and where appropriate a maximum fee can be agreed.

Brief fees, Refreshers & Hearing fees

Fees for a trial consist of a brief fee and refreshers. A brief fee is an agreed fixed fee that covers all the pre-trial preparation and the first day of the trial. A refresher is the fixed agreed fee for a subsequent day of the trial which includes the ongoing preparation before and after court each day as well as any conference.

In advance of the trial both the brief fee and refreshers will be agreed, and the date the brief fee becomes due. In substantial matters it is possible to agree a brief fee which falls due in instalments leading up to the start of the trial.

The fee payable for a hearing will include all the preparation for that hearing and any required pre-trial conference.

Conditional Fee Agreements – Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence

Barristers in Chambers also accept instructions under Conditional Fee Agreements (‘’no win no fee’’) in certain circumstances.

Where a standard CFA trade agreement exists between APIL and PIBA in personal injury cases, then the latest agreement will govern the relationship between barrister and solicitor.

For more information, please contact our clerks

Timescales

We will aim to reach agreement with the client as soon as practicable after receipt of written instructions the timescale within which the barrister will undertake the relevant work, having regard to the amount of work required and complexity of the case. We aim to turn written work around within 14 days of receipt, though frequently this work can be expedited where circumstances demand. Where commitments and pressure of work make this impossible we will get in touch in order to make appropriate arrangements.

Delivery of Services

Members of Chambers are available to provide advice and assistance through formal written opinions, in conference/video-link, by e-mail, or by telephone. For the convenience of clients, members are happy to attend conferences at clients’ offices when appropriate.

Payment of fees

Unless there is a pre-determined agreement in place it is Chambers policy to ask for fees to be paid within 30 days of receipt of the fee note. We would ask those instructing to inform the relevant clerk if this is not going to be possible.

Public funding

Where services are provided under a public funding certificate or other statutory arrangement then the standard contractual terms 2012 will not apply.

Dere Street follows the Bar Council’s Graduated Fee Payment Protocol with regards fees payable to substitute advocates.

Should you have any queries or concerns regarding these new terms please contact our Head Clerk, Phil Paxton on 0844 335 1551 or email

Standard Terms of Business

On 31st January 2013 the standard default terms on which barristers had previously offered their services were abolished by the Bar Council. In line with the majority of other chambers the members of Dere Street Barristers will be operating under the new standard contractual terms as from the date of change.

In the absence of any other agreement these standard terms will govern the relationship between the barrister and those instructing us. All existing agreements outside our current standard terms remain in place and will not be affected by this change.

Nothing will change in the service provided by Dere Street on a day to day basis by reason of the adoption of those terms.

The terms can be found here