How Barristers Charge Their Fees
How much does a barrister charge?
How does a barrister charge for attending court?
Is a barrister required to agree his fees in advance for attending court?
For other kinds of work, is a barrister also required to agree his fees in advance?
How does a barrister fix the level of "the Brief", "the Refresher" and "the hourly rate"?
Is a barrister entitled to be paid his brief fee if a case in which he is instructed to attend court is settled or adjourned?
What about any entitlement to refresher fees if a case is settled or adjourned or if the hearing is shortened?
Is a barrister entitled to be paid any fee if he is asked to mark his diary and reserve an available date for a case?
Can a barrister sue a solicitor or lay client to recover his outstanding fees?
Is there a mechanism to resolve the dispute relating to a barrister's fees?
Are a barrister's fees negotiable?
What should I do if I find the barrister's fees to be exorbitant?
How do I know if the fees quoted by a barrister are reasonable?
How do I find out the qualifications and experience of a barrister?
Barristers are engaged for their advocacy, experience, seniority and expertise. As these qualities vary with different barristers, the rates commanded by individual barristers also differ. A barrister's fees are primarily dictated by supply and demand and are in any event a matter of agreement between the individual barrister and his client (through the instructing solicitors). As in other professions, there are a handful of top senior counsel who command very high fees by reason of their skills and experience. However, they are the exception rather than the norm. Over 30% of the barrister's profession comprise practitioners of under 5 years' standing and by reason of keen competition their fees are kept at a relatively modest level.
