Terms of Business

 Terms of Business

  1. The barrister members of Cotswold Barristers are Authorised and Regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

  2. The proprietor of this website is Cotswold Barristers Ltd, a company providing management, marketing and client care services for Cotswold Barristers (Chambers of Mark Smith).

  3. Nothing on this website should be taken as legal advice.

  4. Legal advice is only given by a barrister, and only after instructions are given and accepted in writing and under the terms contained in a client care letter.

  5. Cotswold Barristers provide 15 minute free telephone advice by appointment, and advice in one-hour fixed fee conferences by appointment. This advice is legal advice and all professional rules applicable to barristers in practice apply to it.  No obligation arises on either barrister or client as a result of either event taking place.

  6. Written advice is only given after a fixed fee conference.

  7. If a client decides to adopt all or any of the advice given then an agreement of individual terms of business is entered into by the barrister and client in the form of a signed client care letter setting out the scope of instructions and the fee arrangements. This arrangement forms the contract between barrister and client.

  8. Professional, licensed access andlay clients (as appropriate) may contact an individual barristeror Cotswold Barristers chambers to obtain a quotation for legal services. This may be done by email to clerks@cotswoldbarristers.co.uk

  9. All our services are charged at a fixed fee.

  10. All the barristers practising at Cotswold Barristers specialise in business structuring and tax planning for property businesses.

  11. All business structuring and tax planning services are provided in accordance with our service standards, which are available on request.

  12. Contentious matters (court cases) can last for varying periods, some of which are outside our control. These include, your availability or of relevant third parties, the complexity of the case, the amount of papers counsel needs to review, the need for additional information or documents, the approach taken by the other side, third parties intervening in the case, and Court administrative workloads and waiting times.

  13. The Bar Standards Board has published the following guidance on Direct Public Access (instructing a barrister without a solicitor) for lay clients  https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/uploads/assets/20f0db2a-a40c-4af9-95b1b9557ad748e9/Public-Access-Guidance-for-Lay-Clients.pdf