Ibraheem Dulmeer, barrister and mediator at www.parkhomeslaw.com and  www.holidayparklaw.com, explains how the direct access legal scheme can accelerate your path to park home justice…

Historically, the Bar was a referral profession, meaning that a barrister could only accept instructions from a professional client such as a solicitor.

The system was similar to the way a consultant doctor sees a patient on a GP’s referral. However, a barrister can now accept instructions from clients directly under the direct access scheme.

It strikes me that many do not realise that they can go directly to a barrister if they have a legal problem or they want help with buying or selling a park home.

The direct access scheme enables a member of public to work directly with a barrister rather than going to a solicitor first.

Direct access
I have advised thousands involved in the park homes world, including park home owners, site owners, local authority officers and the one thing they all want is cost effective legal advice.

You might instruct a barrister directly to (non-exhaustive):

● Discuss your options in a conference (or meeting);
● Draft letters for you;
● Give you written advice about your case;
● Give you an opinion about your case;
● Draft court or tribunal paperwork for you;
● Represent you at a tribunal/court;
● Advise on buying or selling your park home.

When you have a legal problem, you may want to obtain initial advice on how to deal with the matter.

Using a barrister
The main difference between instructing a barrister and a solicitor is that, generally, a solicitor will enter into a retainer to litigate a case, whilst a barrister under direct access undertakes bespoke work that is governed by the client care letter and undertakes specific tasks.

The advice sought on a direct access basis may be more cost effective. This is because there would be an additional charge to process the papers by solicitors before the matter is eventually passed onto a barrister for an opinion or advice. Using a direct access barrister means that you do not need to have the solicitor liaise with the barrister on your behalf.
Some have described it as cutting out the middle man, although I do not agree with this way of describing it.

The direct access scheme allow clients to have full control of how much is being spent at each stage. Given the tumultuous times we all find ourselves in, this can be financially comforting.

Ultimately. as a direct access barrister, my clients enjoy the fact that I offer fixed fees with no hidden surprises!