How a barrister can save your business time and money

Anyone who runs a business will appreciate just how expensive it can be to keep everything ticking over in order to achieve the success you want. So, when things go wrong and you find yourself in need of legal advice, who do you need to speak to? - A commercial barrister or a solicitor?

It used to be the case that the only way to gain access to a commercial law barrister would be by going through a solicitor. Fortunately for business owners, this is no longer the case and you can hire a direct access barrister without the need of a solicitor first. So, how can hiring a corporate barrister save your business time and money?

No Solicitors’ Fees

When you instruct a direct access barrister in London such as one of the team at Mercantile Barristers, you will be freeing yourself of solicitors’ fees. Of course, you will still have fees to pay to your commercial litigation barristers, but by going direct, you are avoiding the fees a solicitor would charge for work they do to prepare your brief for a barrister.

As well as this, you may also be able to save on costly solicitors’ letters. For instance, it may be possible that - with the advice of your barristers in London - that you’re able to write directly to the other party involved in the case. This will, again, be another way that will help keep your legal costs down.

No Admin Fees

With any case, there is always plenty of admin involved. Collecting documents, photocopying them, ensuring they’re all in order – all of this can take quite some time. When you choose to hire a direct access barrister, however, this part of the process is generally carried out by you – the person hiring the barrister.

If admin isn’t your forte, you may wish to consider whether using direct access commercial barristers in London is the right choice for you. If you’re capable of dealing with paperwork, any admin involved, and are organised and meticulous, then you could save yourself a considerable amount by going direct.

A Faster Pace

Whether you’re dealing with something like construction law disputes or a business contract dispute, when you choose to use a direct access barrister, you should enjoy a considerable shift in pace compared to using solicitors. When you use solicitors, you won’t just be dealing with one person – you'll be dealing with a receptionist, the solicitor’s assistant, and the solicitor.

When you choose a direct access barrister, you’ll be dealing with that one person. That means, they’ll be involved in your case from the very beginning, and because of this engagement, they will get to grips with its intricacies from the word ‘go’ - not once a solicitor has handed over the case to them.

How Much Could You Save?

Legal costs can quickly rocket, so if you’re able to keep a handle on these costs, then why wouldn’t you? Using a direct access barrister isn’t viable for all cases, but there are many civil and criminal cases in which they are.

How much you could save varies from case to case, but in general, it’s thought that you could benefit from savings of around 50% if you go direct and therefore avoid the need to pay hefty solicitors’ fees.

At Mercantile Barristers, our team deals with cases in -

Be aware that not all barristers are able to work as direct access barristers. In order to carry out work in this way, direct access barristers need to hold a full practising certificate, and have taken and completed a training course approved by the Bar Standards Board. They will also need to have notified the Professional Affairs Team of the Bar Council that they will be working on a direct access basis, and they will also need relevant insurance in place.

If you’re interested in keeping your legal fees down and using the services of our highly-skilled and experienced civil litigation barristers in London, please get in touch with Mercantile Barristers today. We look forward to assisting you with your case and will work tirelessly to get the results you deserve.