T: 020 7583 0811
E: chambers@12kbw.co.uk

Our Practice Management Team ensures your involvement with 12KBW is positive and professional. Our experienced and knowledgeable team will recommend the most suitable barristers for your case. We recognise the need for efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as clarity on fees and timings.

Please note that, unless you are instructing us on a licensed access or public (direct) access basis (see below), 12KBW barristers cannot accept instructions directly from members of the public or companies, but only through a solicitor instructed on your behalf. See below for further information about instructing 12KBW.

Services for Solicitors - Instructing Us and Fees

Services

Our Practice Management Team will ensure you are recommended the most suitable barrister or team of barristers in accordance with your requirements.

  • 12KBW barristers appear in all courts, employment and other tribunals in England and Wales, as well as employment tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We also undertake cases in other jurisdictions. Five barristers are qualified to practice in Northern Ireland.
  • We have 12 accredited mediators and support the range of ADR options.
  • Our barristers are based nationwide which can provide greater flexibility in terms of conference locations and coverage of work

Contact us

Professional, licensed access, and/or lay clients may contact the barrister / chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services. Our barristers bring their commitment to a client focused service and we aim to remain transparent in our approach to fees Our barristers bring their commitment to a client focused service and we aim to remain transparent in our approach to fees.

Please contact a member of the Practice Management Team to discuss fees for our barristers’ services or email clerks@12kbw.co.uk. Our team take a commercial and flexible approach and will discuss the most suitable fee structure for your case.

We will provide you with a quote as soon as possible. We always aim to set out quotes clearly, but if you receive your quote and there is something you do not understand, please contact us.

Fees

Our barristers generally use different pricing models depending on the nature of the work. In general, however, the following models are used:

  • A fixed fee may be charged where a barrister feels able to predict in advance how long the work will take.
  • Hourly rate: An agreed hourly rate which will take into account of the market rates in the area of practice and the barristers’ seniority and experience.
  • Conditional Fee Arrangement: Barristers will also accept instructions under conditional fee agreements (“no win no fee” agreements) in certain circumstances. We well appreciate the difficulties solicitors face in carrying out work on this basis and the clerks, who have a detailed knowledge of conditional fee agreements, are happy to deal with any queries which our clients may have.
  • Brief Fee and Refresher Fee: Our Practice Management Team will discuss Brief fees and Refresher fees with you. This is the fee for a barrister to undertake advocacy in a court or tribunal. The Brief fee usually covers all of the pre-hearing preparation and the first day of the hearing. The Refresher fee is the agreed fixed rate for each subsequent day of a hearing and includes ongoing preparation. An additional fee may be charged for preparing skeleton arguments or written submissions.

The cost for travel and expenses will be charged as separate items and will be discussed with you in advance.

Timescales

Timescales for a case may vary depending on factors such as:

  • Barrister availability
  • The availability of the client or relevant third parties;
  • The complexity of the case;
  • The amount of papers to be reviewed;
  • The need for additional information or documents;
  • The approach taken by the other side;
  • Third parties intervening in the case; and
  • Court/Tribunal waiting times

Terms & Conditions

12KBW has agreed terms & conditions with most of our clients.

Where we have not reached agreement on the terms on which 12KBW barristers are retained, our Standard Terms & Conditions will apply.

Download a copy of our Standard Terms & Conditions.

Services for Public Access

The Public Access Scheme Guidance for Lay Clients

Instructing barristers under the public access scheme

The following barristers in chambers are available to be instructed under the Bar’s public access scheme. This means they can be instructed directly, rather than through a solicitor:

  • Andrew Hogarth KC (personal injury and employment law)
  • Kweku Aggrey-Orleans (employment law)
  • Laura Robinson (employment law)
  • Thomas Pacey (civil litigation, personal injury and employment law)
  • Daniel Sokol (education law)
  • Andrew Watson (employment law)
  • David Green (employment and personal injury law)
  • Henry King (employment law)

You can learn more about instructing a barrister directly by reading the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients, which is available here.

How we determine what fees to charge

Our barristers generally use different pricing models depending on the nature of the work and the needs of the client. In general, however, the following models are used:

  • Brief fee and refresher: fees for hearings and trials are usually determined using this model. A brief fee is a fixed fee which covers preparation for a trial and the first day. A refresher is a fixed fee for each subsequent day of the trial (which includes ongoing preparation). An additional fee may be charged for preparing skeleton arguments or written submissions.
  • Hourly rate: written work (such as advising in writing and drafting court pleadings), advising in conference and general preparatory work are usually charged on an hourly-rate basis. The hourly rate will be agreed in advance and will depend on factors such as the seniority of the barrister, the type of work involved and the type of client. This model is used because often it is not easy to predict how long this sort of work will take to complete. The barrister may agree in advance a cap on the total fees charged under this model (for example it might be agreed that the barrister will charge an hourly rate based on the work done, but she will not charge for more than 10 hours’ work in total).
  • Fixed fee: written work and advising in conference may sometimes be charged on the basis of a fixed fee, where the barrister feels able to predict in advance how long the work will take.

The charging model used will be agreed before the work begins, and recorded in writing in the client care letter, so the client will have certainty and transparency as to what they will be charged.

Public Access – Employment Tribunal

Our public access employment barristers advise and represent both employers and employees in the full range of employment tribunal matters, including unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing claims.

Timescales for your case may vary depending on factors such as the barrister’s availability, the complexity of the case, the need for additional documents and the other side’s approach. As a guide, straightforward cases tend to have a final hearing date within around six months from a claim being made. Please note that unlike solicitors, our barristers will not conduct the tribunal litigation for you, therefore you will remain responsible for complying with tribunal deadlines.

Our barristers’ fees for public access work in the employment tribunal will be determined based on the pricing models described above.

Below we provide indicative fees, based on the range of fees charged by our barristers.

Hourly rates for written work:
Hourly rates for our barristers vary according to seniority and, as a guide, will be in the range from £175 to £450 per hour plus VAT.

Indicative rates for specific types of work:
The indicative fees set out below assume a straightforward unfair or wrongful dismissal claim, with a two-day hearing on liability followed by a one-day hearing on remedy. Cases which are more complex and/or which require a longer hearing will necessitate higher fees than those indicated below. 

  • Advising you in conference: this would be expected to take approximately 6 hours, charged at the barrister’s hourly rate.
  • Drafting the Particulars of Claim or Grounds of Resistance: depending on whether a conference has already taken place, this would be expected to take between 4 and 8 hours, charged at the barrister’s hourly rate.
  • Assisting with general case preparation: this will be carried out at an hourly rate. The cost will depend entirely on how much work the barrister is required to do. If the barrister is heavily involved in case preparation, this is likely to be in excess of 25 hours’ work, charged at the barrister’s hourly rate.
  • Attending a preliminary hearing: this will be charged as a brief fee and is likely to range between £1,000 plus VAT and £4,000 plus VAT depending on the length and complexity of the hearing and the seniority of the barrister.
  • Brief fee for the final hearing: this is likely to range between £2,000 plus VAT and £7,000 plus VAT, depending on complexity of the hearing and the seniority of the barrister.
  • Refresher fees for the final hearing: this is likely to range between £1,000 plus VAT and £3,000 plus VAT depending on the complexity of the hearing and the seniority of the barrister.
  • Brief fee for the remedy hearing: this is likely to range between £2,000 plus VAT and £7,000 plus VAT, depending on the complexity of the hearing and the seniority of the barrister.

These fees may vary if the instructions come in at very short notice. The more complicated the case, and the longer the hearing, the higher the fees tend to be because more work is involved.

In addition to the above fees, there may be additional costs as follows:

  • If your barrister has to travel and/or stay overnight at a hotel in order to meet with you or attend your hearing, they may charge you an additional amount for their travel/hotel costs.
  • If your claim requires expert evidence, you will have to pay any of the expert’s charges.

Public Access – Personal Injury

Our public access personal injury barristers act for both claimants and defendants in personal injury claims at all levels, where appropriate. Please note that as a rule our barristers will not conduct the litigation for you, which means that you will be responsible for doing this and in particular for complying with deadlines. It may be the case that for this reason our barristers decide that it is not appropriate to accept instructions from you on a public access basis.

Timescales for the claim may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of your claim, the need for additional documents and the other side’s approach. However, as a guide more straightforward cases tend to go to trial within 12-18 months of a claim being made.

Our barristers’ fees for public access work in the employment tribunal will be determined based on the pricing models described above. Our barristers may agree to act for you under a conditional fee agreement (commonly called a “no win, no fee” agreement) if they believe you have a strong claim. This means you will only pay your barrister’s fees if your claim is successful and you receive compensation. If your barrister agreed to act for you under a conditional fee agreement then you may also have to pay a success fee if your claim is successful.

Below we provide fee estimates for claims which are allocated to the fast track, which generally means claims which are worth up to £25,000. All fees include VAT (where applicable). These claims tend to be straightforward and are therefore normally dealt with by junior members of chambers whose rates are lower.

Claim – not more than £3,000Range of fees (estimates)
Advising you in conference£800 to £1,200
Written advice on your claim£800 to £1,200
Drafting a statement of case£600 to £800
Trial£1,070
Success fee (if payable)Up to 25% of compensation received
Claim – more than £3,000, but not more than £9,999Range of fees (estimates)
Advising you in conference£800 to £1,200
Written advice on your claim£800 to £1,200
Drafting a statement of case£600 to £800
Trial£1,070
Success fee (if payable)Up to 25% of compensation received
Claim – more than £10,000, but not more than £14,999Range of fees (estimates)
Advising you in conference£800 to £1,200
Written advice on your claim£800 to £1,200
Drafting a statement of case£600 to £800
Trial£1,070
Success fee (if payable)Up to 25% of compensation received
Claim – more than £15,000 (generally, no more than £25,000)Range of fees (estimates)
Advising you in conference£800 to £1,200
Written advice on your claim£800 to £1,200
Drafting a statement of case£600 to £800
Trial£1,705
Success fee (if payable)Up to 25% of compensation received

In addition to the above fees, there may be additional costs as follows:

  • Court fees, which will include an issue fee and a hearing fee (you may be able to apply for a remission of those fees, depending on your financial position). These will depend on the value of the claim
  • If your barrister has to travel and/or stay overnight at a hotel in order to meet with you or attend your hearing, they may charge you an additional amount for their travel/hotel costs.
  • Fees for expert medical evidence.
  • The cost of taking out an after the event (“ATE”) insurance policy, if you choose to take out such a policy.

If you are interested in instructing a 12KBW barrister on a public access basis, in the first instance please complete the public access form.

Services for Licensed Access Clients

A number of professional bodies are now licensed to enable their members to instruct barristers directly for advice.

Professional Clients

For the full list of licensed access bodies click here

If you would like to discuss your specific case and how we can assist, please contact our Director of Clerking, Oliver Parkhouse.

Corporate Clients

In many cases it may be to your advantage to instruct a barrister directly, rather than via a solicitor; for example, if you only need specific advice on an issue or representation at a hearing, it may be more economical to instruct a barrister directly.

Some company clients are able to use the licensed access scheme detailed above in order to instruct directly.

Otherwise, you will need to speak to our Director of Clerking, Oliver Parkhouse, about instructing one of our barristers who are authorised to accept public access work directly from clients (often called direct access).

Quality Assurance

We aim to provide our clients with an unrivalled service. In order to achieve this, we ask clients to provide us with feedback at every opportunity.

If you are visiting us we would welcome your views on the facilities and service we have provided – simply complete the feedback form and return it to us.

Alternatively, if you prefer, simply email or call our Director of Clerking, Oliver Parkhouse with your feedback.

Obviously we hope that you are always satisfied with the service which you receive. If, however, you need to make a complaint, the 12KBW Complaints Policy sets out how you can make a complaint and the other options open to you.