New Park Court Chambers provides this information in accordance with terms of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009. Members of Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board and adhere to the standards and professional behaviour as directed in the Bar Standards Board Handbook.
To view the Barrister’s Register on the Bar Standards Board website, please click here
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 Standard Board’s website in accordance with their policy. Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 0207 6111444 or email contactus@barstandardsboard.org.uk
The general terms and conditions on which our legal services are provided is the Bar Council’s Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2012 (Updated for GDPR 2018). These terms can be found here
Our terms of engagement relate to our barrister’s fees across all of our key practice areas of Crime, Regulatory, Family and Civil Law and apply to hearings listed in the Magistrates Court, County Court, Crown Court and Higher Courts.
Our experienced clerks will liaise with you and suggest a fee structure that is agreeable to both you and your client from the outset. Our clerks can be contacted by telephone on 0113 2433277/0191 2321980 or by email clerks@newparkcourt.co.uk
Our most commonly adopted fee structures are:
i) a brief fee and refresher fees
ii) an agreed hourly rate or
iii) a fixed fee.
These fee structures are applicable for barrister’s fees for attending trials/hearings, conferences and for drafting paperwork.
All of the above fee options are based upon all or a number of the following factors:
All fees are agreed by negotiation at the point of instruction or upon receipt of the papers and before any work is undertaken on the case.
Our clerks will keep in contact with you throughout the duration of the case and will inform you if additional work is required resulting in an agreement of further fees. In such circumstances, no work will be undertaken until the agreement of the proposed fees has been reached.
Members of our Public Access Team have undertaken the appropriate training and are able to accept instructions from companies and members of the public. This scheme is operated under the guidance of The General Council of the Bar, and full details can found by clicking here. The Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients provides further information and is available here.
In each case, the individual barrister, through his or her clerk, agrees the relevant detailed terms of business. Terms must be agreed in writing before the barrister starts work on the case. This does not apply to publicly funded instructions. For more information on the New Park Court Public Access team, click here
The Bar Council’s Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2012 do not apply to any services provided under a publicly funded certificate. Where counsel is instructed in a matter that proceeds with the benefit of legal aid funding, instructions are accepted on the implied condition that there is a valid legal aid certificate with sufficient scope and authority to cover counsel for the work they have been instructed to undertake. All fees are claimed through the appropriate authority.
If you are a client and unsure whether you are eligible for legal aid, the website below may assist you. Please be aware that barristers cannot undertake legal aid work unless they have been instructed by a solicitor https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
Where counsel is instructed in a Personal Injury or Clinical Negligence matter that proceeds under a Conditional Fee Agreement, the instructions are accepted under the APIL/PIBA Standard Terms & Conditions for CFAs.
Timescales for work undertaken may vary depending upon factors such as barristers’ availability, the complexity of the case and the need for additional documents. However, standard papers will normally be completed in 14 days but more complex cases requiring lengthier preparation will normally be completed within 28 days. The instructed barrister or their clerk will contact you to agree timescales in non-standard cases.
Following completion of any work, a fee note will be rendered to you detailing the date and the work undertaken. If applicable, it will show expenses incurred. All fees are subject to VAT.
We ask that our fees are settled within the timescales as prescribed by the Bar Council’s Standard Contractual Terms. We may agree to alternative payment terms upon request.
All members of New Park Court Chambers have professional indemnity insurance provided by Bar Mutual with a minimum cover of at least £500,000, although some members of Chambers are indemnified in excess of the minimum cover.
Each individual member of Chambers is registered for VAT. Their VAT numbers are available on request and are submitted to clients when a fee note is generated.
New Park Court Chambers provides services and assistance to its members by entering into service and other contracts for their benefit. New Park Court Chambers’ VAT number is 341 9812 94.
For details on how to make a complaint, please click here
All members of New Park Court are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
A copy of this webpage can be downloaded here