Client care

We are committed to providing legal services of the highest standard to all clients. We aim to deliver value and welcome feedback on our service.

All barristers commit to complying fully with the Bar Code of Conduct and all other relevant professional standards. You can check the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board website.

Staff administer chambers according to the Practice Management for the Bar guidelines.

We are registered under the Data Protection Act. We are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Quality of service provided is regularly monitored under the lead of the Management Committee who strive to follow a policy of continual improvement in our services.

Progress in achieving this is reviewed annually at a Chambers Meeting and regularly by the Management Committee.

Our fees

  • You can contact our clerks for an estimate of costs for privately funded work before or at the time of the barrister accepting instructions. Please contact our clerks via clerks@fieldcourt.co.uk  or 020 7405 6114
  • Court hearings are usually charged on a fixed fee basis. Paperwork is generally charged based on a hourly rate. Hourly rates range from £100 – £450 per hour depending on the area of law, seniority of the barrister, the scope and complexity of the work as well the number and type of cases in which they have previously been engaged as well as other market forces.
  • Our quotes are net of VAT.
  • Extra costs may include travel expenses and disbursements. These will be agreed with you in advance.
  • Standard matter fee invoices will be issued promptly after the end of a case or agreed stage within a case. This will usually be within 5 working days.
  • If our barristers work for clients frequently, often but not exclusively local authorities, we may enter into framework agreements governing fees for cases falling within the scope of the agreement. Please contact our senior clerk if you would like to discuss such an agreement.

Conflict of interest check

  • A conflict of interest check will be carried out by our clerks upon receipt of an instruction and alternative arrangements made, including the transfer to another chambers, if required.

Timescales

  • If you have a specific deadline you must tell us at the earliest possible opportunity so that we can take account of that deadline when selecting a barrister who will be able to complete the work within the time available as well as for the fee which is to be payable.
  • In the case of advocacy services and some drafting services, the deadline will often be obvious and/or governed by the rules of court. In all other cases, while barristers will endeavour to complete work within 14 days whenever possible, it will be for the client to agree the time within which any work is to be completed with the barrister who is instructed.
  • Factors which may affect barristers’ timescales for the completion of work include the following: urgency of the task, complexity of the task, volume of papers required to be collated and read, availability of the solicitor, client, barrister and/or third parties and the availability of court time. If a matter is genuinely urgent, barristers and the court will try to make time for it to be dealt with. However in less urgent matters pressures on the court’s time and the court’s administrative support staff mean that delays of weeks or months are regrettably common.
  • You will be advised promptly of the outcome of court appearances and of the next stage in the case.
  • If a brief needs to be reallocated due to factors beyond our control, then the professional client will be advised by telephone at the earliest opportunity and the instructions reallocated to a barrister of equal standing and experience, only with the prior agreement of the professional client.
  • Papers will be returned to the professional client after the completion of a case, and usually within 14 days.

Our complaints procedure

If you’re dissatisfied with any aspect of our service to you, please inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you. We have a complaints procedure which you can also obtain by contacting the clerks.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint then you can have the complaint independently looked at by  the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers.

Timing of complaints to the Legal Ombudsman:

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within 1 year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within 1 year of you realising there was a concern.

You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of our final response to you.

Ways of contacting the Legal Ombudsman

You can write to the Legal Ombudsman at:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806,
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ

Or you can call the Legal Ombudsman:

Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Minicom: 0300 555 1777

You can see the Legal Ombudsman’s decision data on its website.