Transparency Information

About Us

We are committed to excellence and the robust pursuit of our clients’ interests. We also pride ourselves on being reliable, approachable, easy to communicate with and transparent on all matters, including costs.

Our barristers in chambers practise in the following practice areas:

  • Family
    • Care and Adoption
    • Divorce and Family Finance
    • Domestic Abuse
    • Private Law Children
  • Civil
    • Co-habitation disputes
    • Inquests
    • Personal Injury
    • Employment
  • Administrative and Public Law
    • Court of Protection
    • Crime and Regulatory
  • Commercial and Property
    • Company and Contractual disputes
    • Housing and Property
    • Contentious Probate and Inheritance
  • Immigration Asylum & Nationality

Our barristers recognise that working closely together enables us to provide a broad spread of expertise and experience to all clients. Members of chambers tend to specialise in more than one area of practice. Details of the services commonly provided by each barrister can be found on their profile page.

Our barristers provide advice in Chambers’ practice areas and represent clients at all levels of the civil, family, and criminal courts. They also appear in cases heard in the Employment Tribunal and the First-tier and Upper Tribunals (Immigration and Asylum) across the country.

Contact Us

The following are invited to contact the clerks on 0117 9069789 for a quote for our barristers’ services (or e-mail clerks@unitystreetchambers.com):

  • Solicitors or other practising lawyers;
  • Licensed Access clients, who may either hold a licence issued by the Bar Standards Board, or be a member of a professional body which has been recognised by the Bar Standards Board; and
  • Members of the public who wish to instruct a barrister under the Public Access scheme.

The clerks’ room is staffed from 08:00-18:00. Out-of-hours telephone numbers are available on request.

Please find our postal address and full contact details here.

Instructions

We accept instructions on paper and with prior agreement, by email, secure file sharing and disc. We will not accept any instructions that breach the BSB Handbook or Equality Rules.

We ask that all briefs and instructions are delivered at the earliest possible stage, but in any event where possible not less than two days before any hearing. It is important that our diaries reflect the current status of all cases; please notify us as early as possible when cases settle, are likely to be adjourned or will not require counsel’s attendance.

All briefs, instructions and ancillary papers are logged on to the chambers’ Lex Management system and forwarded to the relevant barrister immediately.

All briefs and instructions are acknowledged in writing. Faxes are logged and forwarded to the relevant barrister or clerk.

A Conflict of Interest check is made on all cases.

The clerks will keep instructing solicitors informed of any changes of circumstances that may affect a booking. We aim to minimise any changes of representation. When a change is necessary the clerks will give as much advance notice as possible and make every effort to provide suitable alternative counsel. While many conferences take place in chambers, we are always prepared to travel to other venues when necessary.

Fees

Chambers accept instructions from both private and publicly funded clients and cases that are union and insurance backed.

Common price models include brief fees and refreshers, fixed fees and hourly rates. Where appropriate, we undertake work on a Conditional Fee basis (“no win, no fee” agreements) subject to the signing of contracts. A copy of our standard agreement is available here.

The pricing structure used will depend on the nature of the instruction and other factors, including the complexity of the case (factual and/or legal), the level of barrister’s seniority, the time in which the work is required to be turned around, the length of time involved in dealing with the case (preparation and/or court attendance) and the amount of travel required for the barrister to get to and from court.

We aim to bill within two days of work being completed in matters where fees have been agreed in advance. In all other matters, we aim to submit bills within one week of the completion of a case.

Fees for publicly funded work will be billed at the relevant rates in accordance with current guidelines.

All fees are charged exclusive of VAT (where applicable).

We request payment within 30 days of the issue date of our fee notes except where alternative agreements have been made.

Our Clerks will be able to provide you with clear information on the costs of the legal services offered by Members of Chambers and inform you about what may cause any fee quote to vary. All quotes will be provided within a reasonable time and within 14 days of the enquiry. 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.

Timescales

Timescales for a case may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the type and complexity of the case, the other side’s approach and court waiting times.

We aim to return telephone calls as soon as possible but in any event before the end of the working day on which the message is received.

We will aim to complete all written work within 7 days of receipt unless otherwise requested but this will not be possible in all cases. If there is a particular deadline then this must be raised and agreed upon instruction.

Public Access

If you are a member of the public, please refer to the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients. This will help you to understand how the Public Access scheme works and explains how you can use it to instruct barristers directly. Please note that not all of our barristers act on public access basis.

More detailed information on price models on public access services is available upon request. More detailed information sheets in relation to the following areas are available here:

Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Unity Street Chambers operates an equal-opportunities and non-discrimination diversity policy.

We are committed to ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated more or less favourably on the grounds of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political persuasion, age or disability whether they be existing or potential clients, employees, members, pupils or providers of services to chambers. We abide by the guidelines of the Bar Council’s Equality Code for the bar.

Diversity Data

In compliance with the BSB’s Equality and Diversity Rules of the Code of Conduct Chambers is required to collect diversity data from barristers and Chambers’ staff, and publish a summary of that data. This data has been collected and is published here – diversity data 2021

Contributions to the survey are by invitation and some members and staff did not take part.

Feedback

We always welcome feedback from our clients on all aspects of Chambers’ services and are committed to a continual improvement of service.

Regulatory and Complaints Information

Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/search-a-barristers-record.html

This shows (1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy. Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 to ask about this (or e-mail contactus@barstandardsboard.org.uk).

The members of Chambers and clerks at Unity Street Chambers take great pride in offering high levels of service to clients. However, we recognise that unexpected problems can sometimes arise. Any complaints or concerns about our services should be addressed to Toby Halliwell. Your complaint will be fully investigated in accordance with our Complaints Procedure.

Our Complaints Procedure is available here which provides information about:

  • Our procedure for investigating your complaint;
  • Any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) - the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response;
  • How to complain to LeO; and
  • Any time limits for making a complaint. 

You can also search the decision data on LeO’s website: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/data-centre/ombudsman-decision-data/ This shows providers which received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months, and whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy. Alternatively, you can contact LeO on 0300 555 0333 to ask about this (or e-mail enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk).

Requests for information in an alternative format

If you require a copy of the information on this page or any of the links suggested in an alternative format, please contact one of the clerks and a copy can be sent to you in the DX or by post.