Frequently asked questions
Find answers about the Barristerly One Hour Session: a video consultation of up to one hour with an experienced Public Access barrister, followed by a short next-steps note, for £396 including VAT.
About the service
What is Barristerly?
Barristerly is an independent booking and introduction service connecting individuals, businesses and organisations with participating independent Public Access barristers.
Barristerly is not a firm of solicitors or a barristers’ chambers and does not itself provide legal advice. Your advice is provided by the barrister you instruct.
What is a Public Access barrister?
A Public Access barrister is a practising barrister authorised to accept instructions directly from clients without a solicitor necessarily being involved.
Participating barristers are independent and regulated by the Bar Standards Board. They must consider whether Public Access is appropriate for your matter before accepting your instruction.
What does the One Hour Session include?
For £396 including VAT, you receive:
a face-to-face video consultation of up to one hour;
focused professional advice about your legal position, options and next steps; and
a short next-steps note following the consultation.
The consultation time is available for your discussion with the barrister. The next-steps note is prepared afterwards.
What can I ask about?
You can ask about a legal problem within the barrister’s experience and the agreed scope of your session. For example:
Where am I likely to stand?
Is there a potential claim or defence?
Is this worth pursuing?
How should I respond?
Is there anything urgent I should do?
What further information or assistance do I need?
You are not limited to one question, but your questions must be sufficiently focused to allow useful advice within the time available.
Does my problem have to be straightforward?
No. Your problem may be difficult or complex.
What matters is whether the barrister can give useful, responsible advice through a focused conversation based on your account. Some issues may require documents, further investigation or research before a firm conclusion can be reached. The barrister will explain any limitations.
Which areas of law are covered?
Advice is available on suitable questions concerning:
Property & Land
Inheritance & Trusts
Contract & Consumer
General Civil Claims
Insolvency & Company
Criminal & Motoring
Public Law, Regulatory & Licensing
See our Areas of Law page for examples. Advice concerns the law of England and Wales.
Can I send documents before the session?
No. The One Hour Session does not include advance document upload or document review.
Provide a concise factual account in the booking form and explain what you want advice about. Please do not email documents unless the barrister specifically requests them.
What if my question depends on a document?
Explain this in your booking form—for example, if your question concerns the wording of a contract, notice or court order.
The barrister will consider whether useful advice can be given without examining it. If document review is essential, the matter may be unsuitable for the scheme.
If that becomes apparent during the consultation, the barrister will explain what can be advised upon and what further work would be needed. Any further instruction and fee must be agreed separately.
What does the next-steps note contain?
It is a brief written reminder of the main practical steps discussed, usually a few lines or a short paragraph.
It is not a transcript, a detailed written opinion or a comprehensive account of every issue discussed. The arrangements for sending it will be confirmed by the barrister.
What is not included?
The session does not include document review, extensive investigation or research, drafting legal documents, correspondence with other parties, conducting litigation or representation at a hearing.
It does not provide a comprehensive review of an entire case or ongoing responsibility for its management.
Booking and payment
How do I book?
Go to our Booking page, select the area of law that best fits your enquiry and choose an available appointment.
Complete the short form with your account, your questions, the parties’ names and any important deadlines. No document upload is required.
Is my booking immediately confirmed?
Your chosen appointment is provisional until the barrister completes conflict and suitability checks and expressly accepts your instruction.
An automated acknowledgement or calendar reservation does not itself mean that a barrister has agreed to advise you.
If accepted, the barrister or their chambers will confirm the appointment and send the client care terms and payment details.
Why do you need the other parties’ names?
The barrister needs to check whether accepting your instruction would create a conflict of interest.
Please provide the names of the proposed client, opposing parties and other relevant people or organisations.
Can the barrister decline my booking?
Yes. The barrister may decline because of a conflict, lack of availability, the matter falling outside their experience or the session being unsuitable for your needs.
They may also ask you to clarify or focus your questions before deciding. If your request is declined before acceptance, no consultation fee is due.
What if I do not know which area of law to select?
Choose the closest category and briefly describe your problem. You do not need to know the legal terminology.
Alternatively, contact info@barristerly.co.uk before booking.
How much does it cost, and who do I pay?
The fixed fee is £396 including VAT.
No payment is required to reserve a provisional appointment. Once your booking is confirmed, you pay the barrister or their chambers directly in accordance with the payment instructions provided.
Barristerly does not receive or hold client money.
Are there hidden charges or discounts?
There are no hidden charges within the agreed service. Additional work or fees require your express agreement in advance.
Discounted rates are not currently offered.
Can I use legal aid or legal-expenses insurance?
The One Hour Session is privately funded and is not offered under legal aid.
If you have legal-expenses insurance, check with your insurer before committing to the appointment. Cover and any requirement for prior approval depend on your policy. Reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Your consultation
How do I join the session?
You will receive instructions for joining the video consultation using the platform specified by the barrister.
You will need a reliable internet connection, working camera and microphone, and a private place to speak.
How should I prepare?
Make a short list of your main questions, key dates and the outcome you would like to achieve. Start with the issues that matter most to you.
Give an accurate account, including facts that may weaken your position. The usefulness of the advice depends on the information you provide.
Can someone attend with me, or can I request an adjustment?
Tell the barrister beforehand if you would like a supporter or interpreter to attend, or if you need an adjustment to participate.
The barrister will discuss the arrangements with you, including any confidentiality considerations.
Can I record the consultation?
Only with the barrister’s prior agreement. This includes using an automated recording, transcription or AI note-taking service.
What happens if there is a technical problem?
Contact the barrister promptly using the details in your confirmation.
If a failure attributable to the barrister or the selected platform prevents a meaningful consultation, a replacement appointment will ordinarily be offered without additional charge.
If the problem concerns your equipment, connection or failure to join, any replacement appointment or refund will be considered under the Booking Terms and your statutory rights.
Cancellations and changes
Can I cancel my appointment?
Under the scheme’s contractual cancellation policy, you will receive a full refund of any consultation fee paid if written cancellation is received at least 12 hours before the scheduled start.
With less than 12 hours’ notice, a refund is at the barrister’s discretion, subject to any statutory cancellation or refund rights that apply.
What if I book less than 12 hours before the appointment?
If you subsequently cancel, a refund is at the barrister’s discretion under the contractual cancellation policy.
Any statutory cancellation or refund rights remain unaffected. Please read the Booking Terms before booking.
Can I move my appointment?
You may reschedule once without an additional charge if your request is received at least 12 hours before the scheduled start, subject to availability.
Requests received with less than 12 hours’ notice, and further requests after one free change, are at the barrister’s discretion.
How do I cancel or request a change?
Send your request to info@barristerly.co.uk. You may also notify the barrister using the details in your confirmation or client care letter.
Include your name and appointment date and time. Notice takes effect when received.
What if the barrister cancels?
You will be offered a suitable replacement appointment or a full refund of any consultation fee paid.
If another suitable barrister is available, that option may be offered to you. A different barrister will not be substituted without your agreement.
Urgent matters and further advice
Can I book if my matter is urgent?
Make any deadline or forthcoming hearing clear in your booking form. Availability and acceptance cannot be guaranteed in time for an urgent matter.
Booking a session does not extend a deadline, stop a limitation period or postpone a hearing. If immediate action is needed, do not rely solely on the ordinary booking process.
Does the barrister take responsibility for my whole case?
No. The instruction covers only the work agreed in the client care letter.
The session does not include managing your case or taking procedural steps on your behalf. You remain responsible for deadlines unless responsibility for a particular step is expressly accepted under a separate instruction.
What happens if I need further assistance?
The barrister can explain what further evidence, investigation or professional help may be appropriate.
You may ask whether they can undertake further work, but they are free to accept or decline. Any scope, fee and timescale must be agreed separately in advance.
There is no obligation to instruct the barrister again. Barristerly does not receive commission from additional work arranged directly between you and the barrister.
Is a particular answer or outcome guaranteed?
No. The barrister provides independent professional advice based on the information available.
Sometimes a session will resolve a question. Sometimes it will identify what needs further investigation. It may also help you decide that pursuing a matter would not justify the cost, time or stress.
Privacy and complaints
How is my information used?
Your information is used to administer your booking and facilitate conflict, suitability and availability checks. Relevant information is shared with the proposed barrister and, where appropriate, their chambers.
See our Legal, Regulatory and Privacy Information page for details.
Is my information confidential?
Information supplied through the scheme is treated confidentially and shared as described in our privacy information.
Sending information to Barristerly does not itself create a barrister–client relationship. You should not assume that every communication with the booking service attracts legal professional privilege.
What if I am unhappy with the booking service?
Email info@barristerly.co.uk. Barristerly handles complaints about its own booking and administrative service.
What if I am unhappy with the barrister’s advice or service?
Raise your complaint with the barrister using the complaints procedure in their client care letter.
An eligible complaint may subsequently be referred to the Legal Ombudsman, subject to its rules and time limits. Concerns about professional conduct may be raised with the Bar Standards Board where appropriate.
Book your One Hour Session
Up to one hour face to face by video, followed by a short next-steps note. £396 including VAT.
Barristerly is an independent booking and introduction service. Legal advice is provided by the independent barrister you instruct. Barristerly is not a firm of solicitors or a barristers’ chambers and does not itself provide legal advice.