Direct access lets members of the public and businesses instruct a barrister without first going through a solicitor. Within The Barrister Group, direct access enquiries are handled by Barrister Connect, our partner brand built specifically for this work.
A dedicated team, transparent fixed fees, and access to specialist barristers across The Barrister Group. Matched within 24 to 48 hours.
Direct access is a Bar Standards Board scheme. Every barrister taking direct access work has completed the required training.
Barristers are specialists in defined areas of law. You go to the expert without paying for a generalist layer first.
Fixed fees agreed in writing before any work begins. No open-ended hourly billing, no surprises.
A direct access route can be the right answer when full solicitor instruction is not commercially viable for the client.
Traditionally, a client would instruct a solicitor, who would then instruct a barrister. Direct access removes that second step where it adds cost without adding value. The barrister takes the instruction, advises, drafts documents, and represents the client in court.
Direct access works well when the scope of work is reasonably defined: a piece of written advice, drafting a particular document, representation at a specific hearing. A barrister will tell you at the outset if your matter needs a solicitor alongside.
A direct access barrister can give you written or oral advice on the merits of a case, draft court documents and correspondence, and represent you at hearings in courts and tribunals across England and Wales.
Barrister Connect is the consumer-facing brand within The Barrister Group. It runs the matching, case handling, fee agreements and client communications for every direct access enquiry that comes into the group.
When you contact The Barrister Group about direct access, you are handed to a specialist team set up for exactly this work, with the same network of barristers behind it.
Barrister Connect and The Barrister Group are part of the same group. The barristers you instruct through Barrister Connect are the same specialists who appear for solicitor clients across the chambers network.
The process is run by Barrister Connect. Whether you have come to us as a member of the public or been referred by a solicitor, the route is the same.
Submit an enquiry to Barrister Connect with a short description of the legal issue and any deadlines or hearings already in the diary.
The Barrister Connect team identifies a barrister in the right practice area who is authorised to take direct access work and has the right availability.
The barrister sets out the work they will carry out, the timeframe and the fixed fee. You see the cost before you commit to anything.
Once you confirm, the barrister begins the work: advising, drafting, or representing you at hearings, with Barrister Connect supporting throughout.
Direct access enquiries come to us in two ways. Both are handled by the same Barrister Connect team.
You do not need a solicitor to instruct a barrister for advice, document drafting, or representation in many types of case. The Barrister Connect team will match your matter to a specialist and confirm a fixed fee before any work begins.
Direct access is often the right route when a client cannot fund a full solicitor instruction, when the work is limited in scope, or when the client wants to engage a barrister directly. Refer to Barrister Connect and the case handling team will take it from there.
Direct access, also called public access, allows members of the public and businesses to instruct a barrister directly without first going through a solicitor. It is regulated by the Bar Standards Board and available across England and Wales.
Barrister Connect is the brand within the group built specifically for this work. It has dedicated case handlers, a transparent fixed fee model, and a matching process tuned to direct access clients, drawing on the same barristers across the group.
Yes. Solicitors regularly refer clients to Barrister Connect where a full solicitor instruction is not commercially viable, where the work is limited in scope, or where the client prefers to engage a barrister directly.
Direct access through Barrister Connect covers family, employment, property, commercial and business, personal injury, and more. Each enquiry is matched to a specialist barrister authorised to take direct access instructions in that practice area.
Barrister Connect typically matches clients with a suitable barrister within 24 to 48 hours. For urgent matters, including imminent hearings, same-day and next-day matching is regularly arranged.
Fixed fees are agreed in writing before any work begins. There is no open-ended hourly billing. Initial enquiries and quotes are free and without obligation.
Barrister Connect is the route in. The team will speak to you about your matter, identify the right specialist, and confirm a fixed fee before any work begins.
