Chambers Standards

Equal opportunities

• Click here to view our Equal Opportunities policy

Response Times

• All briefs will be entered, acknowledged and forwarded to the instructed barrister upon receipt.
• All written advice will be returned to instructing solicitors within 28 days, unless otherwise agreed with the client.
• Requests to call a solicitor will be responded to by Chambers by the end of the next working day at the latest.
• Messages or faxes will be reported to barristers on the day they are received.

Fees and Billing

• Fee notes will normally be despatched within 28 days of the relevant billing event.
• Clerks have discretion to accept taxation reductions if they believe that it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
• Decisions on whether to appeal a taxation decision will be made within 7 days of notification by the solicitor, or earlier if required.
• Written response for any appeal against taxation will be provided within a further 14 days, or earlier if required.

Service

• Chambers will be open between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday and by telephone (020 7797 7900) outside these hours for emergencies.
• Barristers will keep instructing solicitors informed of all developments on cases and will, as a matter of course, contact them directly after a hearing if the instructing solicitor has not attended.
• Members of Chambers will be available to answer brief queries from solicitors in order to help them determine an appropriate course of action.

Clerking

• Our clerks are open and honest about bookings and aim to minimise any changes in Counsel.
• Our clerks will keep instructing solicitors informed of all developments on instructions.
• Our clerks will not accept an instruction which is in breach of the Bar Council's Equality Code.
• Our clerks are happy to provide cost estimates to assist solicitors in cost management.

Information Technology

• All members of Chambers can receive e-mail via personal addresses at Chambers or through the clerks.
• We are happy to provide written advice and other documents on disk or CD at the request of clients.
• Instructions can be received or briefs despatched by attachment to e-mail.

Service Protocols

• Chambers is interested in agreeing service protocols with firms of solicitors that set out mutual expectations and service commitments. Interested firms should approach the Senior Clerk to discuss matters further.

Client Feedback - Complaints Procedure

• We are committed to continual learning and service improvement, and welcome feedback from our clients on any aspect of our services.
• If a client is dissatisfied we will attempt to recover the service as quickly as possible. Chambers has a formal complaints procedure. Details can be obtained from rayner@1gc.com