The members of Rowchester Chambers specialise in different areas of the law which are described on their individual profile pages. Members typically provide advocacy, drafting and advice services.
Professional, licensed access and/or lay clients are invited to contact the clerks by telephone on 0121 233 2327 or by email as listed on the Contact page of our website to obtain a quotation for the above services. Quotes will be produced as soon as possible on the basis of sufficient information being provided by you to enable an opinion to be formed as to the amount of work likely to be involved in providing the service required. Whilst we aim to set out any quotation in clear and understandable terms, please do not hesitate to contact us for any further clarification.
Working practices differ between barristers and so the way they charge for their work varies. There are however three basic pricing models in respect of privately funded work:
In some cases, barristers may incur expenses in the course of providing their services such as travel expenses; hotel costs; copying charges; and search fees. Such expenses will only be chargeable if agreed in advance.
Fixed fees are fees agreed in advance for specific piece(s) of work. Calculations may be made by reference to the amount of work likely to be involved but, once agreed, the fee will not vary according to the amount of time it takes the barrister to complete the work (unless the scope of the work changes significantly and you agree).
If you agree to engage a barrister at their hourly rate, you will be charged at that rate for the number of hours it takes to complete the work. Different barristers charge at different hourly rates according to a range of different factors including: their area of expertise; the extent, nature and difficulty of the work likely to be involved in any particular case; their experience; and their standing within the profession. The way in which a particular barrister charges as well as the rate at which they charge may vary according to the nature and difficulty of the case as well as other market forces. A barrister may decide from time to time to increase the rate at which they charge if this happens mid-instruction, we will inform you and discuss your options going forward.
Some clients for whom members of chambers work frequently, enter into framework agreements with chambers which govern the fees which members will charge in respect of cases with the scope of the agreement.
Some members of Rowchester Chambers are VAT registered and therefore where applicable VAT will be charged. This will be made clear when the quotation is made.
In certain types of case, you may, depending on your means and various other factors, be eligible for Legal Aid. This is a matter which you will need to investigate with a solicitor. Barristers cannot accept instructions directly from lay clients pursuant to the Public Access scheme if an application for Legal Aid is likely to be required. More information about your potential eligibility for Legal Aid can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid.
Timescales for a case may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the type and complexity of the case, the need for additional documents and court deadlines. If you have a specific deadline, you must tell us at the earliest possible opportunity so that account can be taken of that deadline in selecting a barrister who will be able to complete the work within the time available as well as the fee which is to be payable.
The Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients is located on their website (Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients). This will help you to understand how the Public Access scheme works and explains how you can use it to instruct a barrister directly. Public Access barristers work on either a fixed fee or an hourly rate. It is more common to agree a fixed fee for specific piece(s) of work, and this will be discussed with you in advance depending on your specific circumstances. The agreement will be contained within a written contract. Barristers will generally charge clients instructing them under the Public Access scheme at a higher rate than they would if they were being instructed by a solicitor to reflect the fact that, to some extent, they will also be doing the work which would ordinarily be done by the solicitor as well as the work as a barrister. The burden of the work is therefore more onerous. Nevertheless, there should still be a significant saving as against the cost of instructing both a solicitor and a barrister in respect of the same work. It is also more likely that barristers will incur additional costs which they will seek to recover from their clients in accordance with their agreed terms. The cost of our public access barristers ranges from £250 to £300 per hour, depending on seniority and experience. Please discuss the pricing of our barristers with the clerks. Fees will not normally include VAT, but that will be made clear to you both in advance and in the written contract.
Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Information regarding our complaints procedure and your rights to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) can be found on our website: (Complaints procedure)