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Thanks for visiting my fees page, all about what you can expect to pay for my legal services.
Contents
Areas of law
If you or your organisation require legal advice, representation or assistance in the following areas of law, I may be able to help:
- Commercial
- Public
- Employment
- Education
- Technology
Some of my services are set out below, alongside indicative fees for ‘Direct Access; clients (ie. clients who instruct me without using a solicitor).
Most of my work is bespoke and therefore it is not always possible to provide fee quotes before I have reviewed your case and any relevant documents. Nothing in this guidance should be read as a fee quote for legal services.
Below I explain how my Direct Access legal services are priced. I also set out my indicative fees for certain types of employment and immigration law services. Please contact my staff or I directly for a free quotation tailored to your enquiry.
About me
I’m Ben Amunwa, a barrister practising at The 36 Group Chambers, (barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board or ‘BSB’).
I’m on the BSB’s Barristers’ Register, which shows who has a current practising certificate, and whether a barrister has any published disciplinary findings.
Key facts
- I was called to the Bar in 2013;
- As a Direct Access qualified barrister, where appropriate, I can be instructed by individuals and organisations, without a solicitor;
- I am authorised to conduct litigation where appropriate;
- I hold professional indemnity insurance cover for legal services that I provide to the public;
- I am Registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (‘ICO’);
- I am VAT registered (number available on request).
All client enquiries are handled via my professional practice in Chambers. I do not provide advice or legal services via this website or under the ‘Law, mostly’ brand.
Your free fee quote
You can contact me or my Chambers to obtain a free fee quote for specific legal services.
Individual clients or companies can contact me directly here. My staff or I usually respond to enquiries within 24 hours during weekdays (excluding public holidays).
Solicitors, their colleagues and organisations with Licensed Access should contact my chambers here.
About my fees
I tend to work on either a ‘fixed fee’ or an ‘hourly rate’ basis.
If you send me all of the relevant information, usually I can work on a fixed fee basis so that you know exactly what you are paying for any task. If further information becomes available after fees are agreed or if the scope of the work changes, I may need to revise my fees.
Sometimes, where appropriate and only with your agreement, I will charge an hourly rate suitable for my level of experience. If I charge you an hourly rate I will require you to make an up-front payment to a third-party escrow account service approved by the Bar Standards Board (www.transpact.com). They hold the funds and can only pay my fees with your consent. There are small fees for using this service.
I am happy to discuss discounted retainer arrangements with suitable clients, such as businesses who require legal services on a regular basis.
Funding
As well as clients who pay privately, some of my clients may fund their cases in other ways.
Insurance
If you are involved in litigation, you should check whether you have legal expenses insurance (‘LEI’). Some insurance policies (such as home insurance) may include cover for certain legal disputes. LEI can help fund your legal costs where there is cover. Where LEI is in place, I can liaise with the insurers and inform them that you wish to instruct me.
Legal aid
Barristers can only conduct legal aid work if they are instructed by a solicitor. If you require legal aid, I may be able to refer you to solicitors that I know and work with. You can find out more information about your eligibility for legal aid here.
‘No win, no fee’ agreements
Usually, I do not work on these types of agreements. However, if I think this is appropriate, I will tell you.
Fees tables for legal services
To find out more about my fees for certain legal services, download my Fees Tables (last updated February 2022) below:
Further guidance
Direct Access clients may be assisted by reading the Bar Standards Board ‘Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients’, which explains more about the service. Please note that unless you instruct me to conduct litigation on your behalf, you will be responsible for taking all formal steps in the case (such as filing and serving documents and corresponding with other parties or their representatives).
Complaints
My Chambers has a formal complaints procedure. Further information is available via The 36 Group website.
All clients have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman if unsatisfied with the final response of my Chambers to a complaint or if the complaint has not been fully responded to within 8 weeks. Further information on complaints is available:
• For Direct Access clients in the Civil Direct Access Agreement sent to you; or
• For solicitor and/or licenced access clients in the acknowledgment letter sent to you.