DIRECT ACCESS TO A BARRISTER – WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO A SOLICITOR
A change in the rules in how barristers and solicitors can work now permits members of the public to instruct a barrister directly, thus avoiding the cost of paying for two lawyers.
And where possible, we offer fixed fees, so that you know where you stand.
Home visits – in uncertain times, we can see you in your home, for your greater convenience and safety.
“At the heart of the Community”
Contact Me
MARTYN FORD
B.A.(Hons.), M.A., Barrister
07581 434240
info@monmouthlawshire.co.uk
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Membership number 21301
Monmouth Law Chambers practise in relation to:
Public Access
I am authorised to deal directly with members of the public without the client having to go through a solicitor. I enclose a copy of the Bar Standards Board’s 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 barristers directly.
I also accept instructions from solicitors.
Fees
- A fixed fee
- An hourly rate
These are the two methods for charging fees. The nature of the work will determine which is offered. If it is not possible to assess how long a matter will take (usually where legal proceedings are anticipated or have commenced), my charges are based on an hourly rate of between £185 and £250 per hour, depending on the nature of the work.
Fixed fees are applied in most cases, particularly in non-contentious matters (i.e. where there are no legal proceedings).
Quotation
Please contact me on info@monmouthlawshire.co.uk for a quotation, and if there is any aspect of it which is unclear please let me know. Quotations will be provided within 7 days.
Timescales
Once I have all the details I need, and the terms of business agreed and complied with, work will normally be completed within 14 days.
At a difficult and stressful time, the last thing you want is an expensive and drawn out process. That is why our primary goal is to help you come to an agreement with your spouse about the finances – who gets what and when.
Let us help you arrange your affairs so that if you lose mental capacity, or when you die, your family have as little to worry about as possible.
It is natural to want to pass on as much of one’s assets as possible to your children, but it is not always a straightforward matter. Care fees, taxation, and family rifts, are often the main complicating factors, but there can be others.
Probate is the word normally used to describe the legal and financial processes involved in dealing with the property, money and possessions (called the assets) of a person who has died. Before the next of kin or Executor named in the Will can claim, transfer, sell or distribute any of the deceased’s assets they may have to apply for Probate
The issues surrounding Care Fees Planning are wide ranging and Monmouth Law Chambers are able to provide specialist legal advice in a number of areas. Whether you need legal advice in relation to your own (or your relative’s) Care Fees Planning will depend on your individual circumstances.
Monmouth Law Chambers
Regulatory and Complaints Information
Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website: barstandardsboard.org.uk This shows
(1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and
(2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy.
Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 to ask about this or e-mail ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk
A separate sheet is enclosed which provides information about:
• Our complaints procedure;
• Any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) – the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response;
• How to complain to LeO; and
• Any time limits for making a complaint.
You can also search the decision data on LeO’s website:
http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/raising-standards/data-and-decisions/#ombudsmandecision-data.
This shows providers which received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months, and whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy.
Alternatively, you can contact LeO on 0300 555 0333 to ask about this or e-mail enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Contact Me
MARTYN FORD
B.A.(Hons.), M.A., Barrister
07581 434240
info@monmouthlawshire.co.uk
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Membership number 21301