How to find a good direct access barrister who will work on legal expenses claims

[MGMidget]

We have an ongoing legal expenses claim and I want to try and switch from the insurer's chosen solicitor/barrister combo to a direct access barrister as a cost saving measure and because I don't rate the solicitor at all.

The problem is I don't have much knowledge of how to find good direct access barristers with specific skills sets/knowledge and who would take on legal expenses claims! I wondered if anyone could suggest good sources of review etc to help me and any good only search services? Any directories I can look at for reviews etc and also anywhere I can access these directories without spending a fortune buying/subscribing to them? Thanks.

I would have thought you'd be best getting a personal recommendation. I unfortunately don't know any barristers who specialise in this. Most chambers have a list of barristers along with their areas of expertise.

What area of law?

Best place to look is the Chambers & Partners guide.

chambers.com/legal-guide/uk-bar-14

It is property law specialists I am looking for please!

And many thanks for the link to Chambers guide -that’s a good start!

Do barristers work by direct access these days? They never used to. You always had to go through a solicitor.

For property law I'd suggest looking at Tanfield Chambers. Call up the clerks and tell them what you are looking for and they will be able to say if they have anyone accepting direct access instructions in that area and tell you their hourly rates.

It's worth trying Clerks Room as they tend to have quite a variety available. Get more than one quote though as barristers can vary wildly in price and quality

HolidayHappy123 what do band 1, band 2 and band 3 indicate in this guide? Is it a rating by Chambers or a fee level charged, for example? Also, it doesnt look like this guide indicates in a chambers or individual barrister is direct access. Is there a search parameter I am missing? Thank you.

Legal 500 is similar to Chambers and Partners as well. The bands are the barristers’ rankings in the eyes of the directory - so 1 are “better” than 2 etc.

If you find a set of chambers you like the look of, the individual barristers’ pages on the chambers’ site will list whether or not they take on direct instructions. I don’t know that you can find this information from the directories.

Most highly-rated barristers do not accept direct access work.

You would normally only take on a client directly if you struggled for work otherwise or it is for a particularly interesting or high profile cause. It means you assume the work which the solicitor would normally do, which may be more administrative and/or which you don’t have the same facilities to deal with.

Chambers lists the most highly rated barristers in their field so I’d be surprised if there was much cross over with direct access offerings.

I know plenty of direct access barristers who are also ranked by Chambers / L500 but it's difficult to help if the OP does not say what area of law is involved.

at 16.42 they said property law specialists. HTH.

Call the clerks at the following chambers and they will tell you who does direct access. They all specialise in property:

Falcon Chambers
Landmark Chamber
Tanfield Chambers

What type of property law? That's a huge subject . . .. Conveyancing/Easements/Village Greens/planning/right to buy etc?

Its nuisance/trespass and damage from neighbouring construction work.

Thanks everyone for suggestions so far. If anyone can point me to chambers most likely to be able to help (in addition to those alrady suggested) I would be most grateful!

Realistically I am probably not in the financial position to chose a leading barrister although I understand the need to try and find someone who is good enough for the job! I am also limited by trying to use legal expenses insurance!

Yes - as others have said look at chambers and partners, legal 500. The rankings are how highly they are ranked - it has no direct correlation to fees, which, in general is based on seniority, location and chambers. Falcon, Tanfield and Landmark will be expensive - they are three of the top sets (particularly Falcon which always used to be THE top property law chambers - not sure if still is - not my area). You may be better off looking at chambers/barristers ranked in tier 3/4. They will still be very good (only the best in their field are ranked at all). Also, if you are not in London, you can refine search to look for barristers/chambers in north/midlands etc - they are likely to be cheaper.

It used to be the case that not many barristers did direct access but that is changing now. Lots of more commercially minded barristers may for example be direct access qualified so they can act directly for businesses without a middle man. Good luck in your search.

Thank you. Having seen our solicitors in action I dont think it would be difficult for me to do at least as good a job if not better in liaising with and briefing a barrister if I can find a suitable one totake the case. I seem to have done a lot of the work myself anyway.

Depending on what you mean by nuisance and assuming you're talking about damage to your property by their construction works, you might want to contact a barrister specialising in property damage rather than property.

And specifically those who are used to insurance work.

Probably a stupid question but have you checked with your LE insurer that you can appoint somebody else? And have they given approval for a direct access barrister?

Is there a reason you can't just ask for the cart to be moved to another panel firm?

*case to be moved

Which part of the country are you in? Not necessary to be near any specific chambers but I could only recommend London and south west.

www.mybarrister.co.uk/

I used this and found a very good DA barrister, couldnt recommend them enough tbh

I am in the London area so would love to know of any recommendations you have!

Thank you Rose. I have looked at these search type sites and I am considering using them but any specific knowledge people on here have would probably help me be better targeted. What type of law did you need a barrister for?