DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN APPROACH A BARRISTER DIRECTLY?

If you have received court papers and you are identified as a DEFENDANT, whether they are criminal or civil proceedings, you may contact McIntosh Chambers directly.  You do not necessarily need to contact a solicitor first.

• If you are contemplating whether to COMMENCE legal action, or if you have ALREADY commenced legal action, you also may also contact McIntosh Chambers directly. 
  
  A Barrister may look at your case for you and decide whether there are factors in which your case would be best served by having a solicitor on the record.  There are some things that a Barrister cannot do for you such as general legal work that is not related to court.  Sometimes the need for a solicitor will arise whilst you are working with the Barrister directly.
  
  There are some positives for you as the client to work directly with a Barrister if the Barrister accepts your case on a direct access basis.  Some of these are:
  
  *  It is possible that you might save some money in that you wont be charged for your solicitor briefing your Barrister as you wont have a solicitor (unless the need arises of course);
  
  *  You will get to know and work one on one with the Barrister; and
  
  *  You may feel that you have more insight into your case as the Barrister is not removed from you.
  
  There are also negatives to working directly with a Barrister.  Some of these are:
  
  *  There can be an urgent need to brief a solicitor at short notice and that solicitor is not familiarised with your case; and
  
  *  There may be work that you will need to undertake as if you are your own solicitor such as writing some letters in your own name which may not have the desired effect that a letter written in the name of the legal practitioner may have.
  
  
  
  

Disclaimer:  A Barrister in practicing in New South Wales must comply with the NSW Bar Rules which are made under s702 of the Legal Profession Act NSW (2004)