On this page, you will find information concerning:
(1) How you may obtain a quote from an individual member of 1EC, or from a range of members of 1EC, to assist you in deciding whether to send instruction one of our members.
(2) The typical pricing models used by member of 1EC.
(3) An explanation of the most commonly used pricing models.
(4) A non-exhaustive list of factors that may influence the price.
(5) Factors that may affect the timescales that it will take to progress your case.
Please note: (1) Each case is different, and the costs involved may vary. To discuss your case and the likely costs, please contact our clerks by email at clerks@1ec.co.uk or by telephone on 0207 936 3030.
(2) All members of 1EC are self-employed independent barristers, with differing levels of experience and areas of specialism. This means that the individual members of chambers may give different quotes to carry out the same piece of work.
Obtaining a Quote
In order to obtain a quote from 1EC, please contact our clerks in the first instance with a description of your case. We welcome enquiries from professional clients, licenced access clients, as well as direct approaches from members of the public.
In order to provide you with a quote, we will need to have sufficient information about your case to understand:
(1) the nature of your case;
(2) the services you wish us to provide;
(3) the timescale in which you wish for us to carry out the services (together with any applicable deadlines); and
(4) the volume of evidence to be read and considered.
It will often be appropriate for you to send some of the papers in the case to allow us to consider these matters.
We will also need to know the seniority of barrister that you wish to instruct for a case. As a rough rule of thumb, a more senior barrister is more experienced, and so likely to charge a higher fee. If you are not sure of the seniority of barrister that you will require, our clerks will be happy to assist you.
Once we have sufficient information about your case to allow us to provide a meaningful range for the fee that we may charge, we will send you a quote as soon as reasonably possible. This will typically be within 14 days, though in the vast majority of cases you will receive a quote within a day or two.
Typical Pricing Models
1EC uses a range of pricing models to best suit its clients’ needs. Our clerks will be happy to discuss the best option for your circumstances. The most commonly used pricing models that we use are:
Brief Fee and Refresher
A brief fee is a fixed fee that covers the preparation for a trial and the first day of the trial. A refresher is a fixed fee for each subsequent day of the trial, including any ongoing preparation.
Capped Fee
Under a capped fee, you will be charged an agreed hourly rate for the time spent on a piece of work. However, the total fee that you will be charged will be subject to an agreed set limit. Please be aware that when you agree a capped fee, that cap will only apply to the specific piece of work. Matters that fall outside that piece of work are not covered by the agreed cap.
Fixed Fee
Where you agree a fixed fee, you will be asked to pay a set sum for a set piece of work. Whilst that sum will be agreed with reference to factors such as the complexity of the work and the likely length of time for completion, the price will be the same irrespective of how long it will take.
Please be aware that when you are agreeing a fixed fee that fee only relates to a specific piece of work. Matters that fall outside that piece of work are not covered by the fixed fee.
Hourly Rate
Should you instruct one of our barristers on the basis of an hourly rate, the amount you pay will be determined by the length of time that the barrister spends completing the work he or she is instructed to do.
Conditional Fee
In certain circumstances, members of 1EC may be prepared to agree to work on a conditional fee agreement. These are typically referred to as “no-win-no-fee”, though that is not always an accurate description. Under some conditional fee arrangements, you will be asked to pay a “base rate” that applies irrespective of the outcome of litigation in question with an additional “success fee” if you succeed in your case. Taking on a case of subject to a conditional fee agreement may include the barrister taking on a significant amount of risk as to when they will be paid, if they will be paid, and how much they will be paid. Accordingly, all members of 1EC reserve the right not to accept instructions on a conditional fee basis. Whether to accept a case on a conditional fee arrangement is a matter for the individual barrister, on each individual case.
If you think that your case is suitable for a conditional fee agreement, please raise this with our clerks who will be happy to discuss your requirements with you.
Factors that May Influence the Price You Are Quoted
Our starting point when quoting for work is by multiplying the barrister’s hourly rate by the estimated time that it will take to complete the work in question. This is not, however, definitive. As self-employed businesses, barristers will have to take account of a range of matters when giving you a quote.
Typical factors may include:
Complexity of the work
In most circumstances complex work will mean that the barrister will have to spend longer on your case to ensure that you have the service you deserve. If, however, you have a very complicated case you may be given a higher quote that reflects the challenges of your case.
Timing of the Instruction
We appreciate that, at times, it is necessary to come to us only shortly before a hearing in your case is due to come before the court: you may have expected a case to settle, or only been notified of the hearing very late in the day. This, however, may require your chosen barrister to work anti-social hours (such as very late evenings, over the weekend, or during holidays) or rearrange personal engagements. You may be given a higher quote to reflect this impact.
Location
We understand that sometimes we will have to travel to provide you with representation. This may, however, mean that your chosen barrister will have to spend much of their working day travelling, or even to arrange overnight accommodation. As your barrister will be unable to work on other cases in this time
Experience of the Barrister
As a general rule of thumb, a more experienced barrister will be more expensive than a more junior barrister. This will usually be reflected in a higher hourly rate. In certain circumstances, however, the relative experience of the barrister may affect the price you are quoted. For example, a barrister looking to develop their practice into a new area of law may reduce their hourly rate to reflect this.
Previous Work on the Same Case
Where a barrister has previously worked on your case, it may be that he or she is able to offer a lower than usual quote. This is because they are already familiar with the issues in the case. Of course, the longer it has been since the barrister last worked on your case the less this will be applicable, and our quotes will always reflect what is required for the current piece of work.
Value of the Case
In every case – no matter the size – where you instruct one of our barristers you can expect a high-quality service. The more valuable the case, however, the more likely it is that the case will require special attention. This may be reflected in the price that you are quoted.
Factors that may Influence the Timescale of Your Case
At 1EC, we understand that your case is very important. We understand that you will want to know your case is being progressed towards its conclusion, and we are committed to working towards achieving your aims. There are, however, many factors that can affect how quickly a case can be progressed. Whilst these factors will vary from case to case there are a number of factors that may commonly affect the timescale.
Your Availability
In many cases, your barrister will need to discuss the case with you. It is often the case that your barrister will be unable to progress your case until after these discussions.
Our Availability
In addition to your availability, the availability of your chosen barrister will affect when the work on your case can be completed. Pre-existing commitments may mean that it is not possible to start work on your case immediately. If your barrister expects that there will be an extended period before he or she can start work on your case, you will be told when you are provided with a quote.
The Complexity of the Case
The more complicated your case is, the more work that will be required to progress it to conclusion. This will naturally take more time.
The Amount of Papers in the Case
The more papers there are in the case, the longer it will take for your barrister to read into you case and be able to carry out the work you wish to be completed.
The Need for Further Instructions
It is often the case that, on reading the papers, your barrister will have further questions about the case. These questions can range from simple clarifying questions, to asking for further detailed evidence. The time taken to provide these further instructions, and the time taken to consider the same, will affect the timescale for the completion of the case.
The Approach Taken by the Other Side
The approach taken by the other side in litigation can have a significant impact on how long it will take for the litigation to be resolved. At one extreme, the other side may concede all or most of the claim. At the other, the other side may deny every aspect of the claim – meaning that all matters will have to be contested – or may actively engage in delaying tactics.
Court Waiting Times
The length of time between court hearings is usually a matter for the courts to determine. Depending on how busy the courts are, there can be a significant period of time before a hearing in your case is listed.
The Approach of Third Parties to the Case
As with the approach of the other side, the approach of third parties can affect how long it takes for your case to be resolved. For example, you may need a witness statement from a third party who does not provide it as promptly as you would like. This may affect the time it takes to resolve your case.
Please note that these factors are indicative only, and different factors may also affect your case.
Indicative Fees
We understand that many members of the public who directly approach a barristers’ chambers are not familiar with the type of cost that may be associated with your case. We are pleased to provide indicative fees in respect of some of the areas where our barristers practice, which can be found on our dedicated public access page.
If your case does not appear in this section, we are of course very happy to discuss indicative fees with you. Please see the section concerning seeking a quote above.