How To Instruct Us & Terms
How to Instruct Us
All members of Henderson Chambers are self-employed and independent law practitioners.
Our experienced and skilled clerking team, led by Chambers Director Jason Housden and Senior Practice Manager Daniel Kemp will be happy to assist you by recommending the barrister or team most suited to deal with any given case, and suggest the best way for you to access our services.
The clerks are the first point of contact for all our clients, and have an extensive knowledge of each barrister’s areas of practice and availability.
Terms of Engagement
Unless otherwise agreed in advance, in writing, members of Henderson Chambers accept instructions under the Bar Council’s Standard Contractual Terms and Conditions with payment of professional fees within 30 days of issue of our invoice. The clerks would be very happy to discuss alternative contractual and fee arrangements in advance of commencing work should the need arise.
Members of chambers are typically instructed by solicitors in the UK and internationally, both in house and in private practice, but are also able to accept instructions from:
- Employed Barristers
- Authorised Litigators
- Licensed Conveyancers
- Financial Institutions
- Charities
- Parliamentary Agents
- Patent Agents
- European Patent Attorneys
- Trade Mark Agents
- Notaries
We also accept instructions from corporate professionals and bodies who are licensed by the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. More information of which can be found on the Bar Council’s website.
We have links with lawyers in other jurisdictions, and are happy to work in co-operation with legal professionals in all parts of the world. We have done so successfully in the past including forming teams with lawyers on several different continents.
Interest
Members of chambers may exercise the right to apply interest outstanding fees if their fee note/invoice remains unpaid as per paragraph 12 of the Bar Council Standard Terms (in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998) at a rate of 8% above base rate.
Fee Transparency
Professional (or licensed access) clients may contact chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services using the contact details provided on the Contact Us section of this website. Members of public wishing to obtain a quotation should visit the public access section of our website.
The most commonly used pricing models for legal services are charges by an hourly rate, a fixed fee or an agreed brief fee and refreshers. A brief fee is a fixed fee which covers preparation for a hearing and attendance at the first day. A refresher is a fixed fee for attendance at each subsequent day of the hearing. Fees will be subject to VAT where applicable.
The areas of law in which members of chambers most commonly provide legal services are described on the expertise section of our website and on the profiles of individual members of chambers on this website. The legal services most commonly provided are advocacy and advisory services.
Factors which might influence the timescale of the provision of legal services include the complexity of the matter; the availability of the client, the barrister and any relevant third parties; the volume of documents to review; the need for additional information or documents; court waiting times and the urgency of the matter.
Our fees will be billed to you on an invoice basis. If you would prefer to be billed on a rolling fee note basis please contact our accounts team by email.
Client Confidentiality & Conflicts
Due to the nature of work undertaken in chambers we are often instructed by multiple parties to one action. There may also be occasions where there is a need to provide confidentiality in any event. Chambers has robust procedures to ensure confidentiality is maintained. For further information please see our Client Confidentiality & Conflicts page.
Barristers’ Regulation
Barristers at Henderson Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. The Barristers’ Register is an online database which displays details of all barristers who are authorised to practise in England and Wales and who have a current practising certificate. The register will display the dates for which a barrister’s practising certificate is valid. It includes information about barristers’ practising status, their practising address, the reserved legal activities they are authorised to undertake and whether they have been the subject of any disciplinary findings which are published on its website.
Feedback & Complaints
Our aim is to give you a good service at all times. We welcome feedback from our clients (and lay clients) at any time and understand that it is the primary way of improving our service. However, if you wish to raise a complaint please visit our feedback and complaints page. Lay clients may complain directly to chambers or the Bar Standards Board without going through their solicitors in the first instance, professional clients are asked to convey this to lay clients.
Professional Insurance
All members of chambers have professional liability insurance provided by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Ltd. Territorial coverage is world-wide and subject to the terms of the Bar Mutual. Click here for details.
Privacy Statement
The Members and Staff of Henderson Chambers are unavoidably involved in collecting personal data of individuals in order to be able:
- to provide our clients with legal advice and representation, and to recover fees due for doing so
- to offer our contacts in the legal and other professions information on developments in law and practice
- to train pupils and mini-pupils
- to offer (by use of cookies) information sought by users of our website.
We shall not process, use or pass on any such personal data of individuals for any other purpose unless lawfully required by a court or a governmental, law enforcement or regulatory authority.
We shall not retain such personal data of individuals longer than we consider necessary for such purposes. Please send an email to dataprivacy@hendersonchambers.co.uk to ask a question, raise a concern, or make a complaint.
Barristers’ Privacy Policies
In addition to our Privacy Statement, barristers have their own individual privacy policy accessed from their profile web page which contains important information regarding the handling of data. Please refer to these policies for the purposes of clause 7 of the Bar Council’s Standard Contractual Terms & Conditions.
Click here to download this How To Instruct Us information as a PDF. This page was last updated on 19 November 2024.
