Direct Public Access

5 Essex Court Direct

5 Essex Court Direct is a specially trained team of barristers who are able to advise and represent clients without a solicitor acting as an intermediary. Clients can come direct to our barristers for single pieces of advice, or in relation to ongoing disputes. This arrangement can leave the client to administer the case with the help and assistance of specialist counsel.

We can save you money and ensure you receive specialist advice and representation direct from the experts.

Public Access Barristers

Until 2004, barristers were only able to undertake work on the instructions of a solicitor. Since then, specially qualified barristers have been able to accept instructions direct from clients.

Public Access barristers perform the same functions as any other barrister, such as providing specialist legal advice and representation, however, they can also perform many of the functions of a solicitor, such as drafting legal documents and letters.

For example, Public Access barristers can:

• Advise clients in all areas of law;
• Draft legal documents, letters, contracts etc;
• Provide second opinions, where other lawyers have already been instructed;
• Provide advice and representation in relation to case before Courts and Tribunals;
• Negotiate with other parties in the case

The Benefits of Direct Public Access

• Barristers are experts in the area of law they specialise in;
• By instructing a 5 Essex Court barrister direct, you are only paying for one lawyer, not two;
• Barristers are self-employed and have lower overheads than solicitors. These means that barristers at 5 Essex Court can provide better value for money as all the payment goes towards legal services rather than towards administration.

Areas of law that are suitable for Direct Public Access

5 Essex Court Direct has barristers who are experts in the following areas of law:

• Employment
• Licensing
• Immigration
• Professional Discipline
• Regulatory Law
• Commercial disputes

Instructing 5 Essex Court Direct

If you are considering instructing a barrister through 5 Essex Court Direct, please contact our senior clerk, Mark Waller, or a member of his team, on 0207 410 2000.

Our barristers will always give an indication of how much the work will cost in advance. We can offer a range of fixed and capped fees to ensure absolute certainty of cost.

Counsel at 5 Essex Court who undertake public access work are:

• Charles Apthorp
• Richard Oulton
• Victoria von Wachter
• Melvyn Harris
• Beatrice Collier
• Mark Thomas